After HBP
by Nival Vixen
Summary: COMPLETE! A few weeks after Dumbledore is killed, Ginevra finds someone injured in her backyard who she'd rather not heal: Draco Malfoy. Not knowing who to trust, Ginevra contacts Blaise Zabini for help. Then they all need to find a way to survive. Draco/Ginny/Blaise
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:**as usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter...

(a/n: **Not** compatible with the _Deathly Hallows_.

This fic is being posted as my birthday present to all of you! Enjoy!)

_Prologue_

Draco clutched his side, trying to ignore the pain that seemed to be searing through his very soul. He staggered along the alley, his face covered in blood.

He thought back briefly to when he was a child and Father had brought home a map of every wizarding family's Portkey. Having the Minister for a lapdog did have its advantages, afterall. He had laughed with his father as they invented various ways to corner one particular family; to torture them for even thinking that they had the honour of being purebloods. Weasley's, of course... The game had gone on for a long time, until his mother had returned home with company.

It was no longer a game.

_He had to get away. He had to find it. It was here somewhere. Where was it?_

At the end of the alleyway, far from any lights or prying eyes, Draco found the Portkey. A grubby old boot. _Disgusting_... Taking hold of it, he silently screamed his pain as it tugged at his navel with a sharp jerk.

People were still after him, and the magic the Portkey used would have alerted them. However, he was hoping that it would take them a long time to find where it came from, if it was indeed him, and where the Portkey went to. A rather large gamble on his part, but with a wound like his, Draco was willing to risk it. He needed medical help. Now.

Arriving in a large forest, Draco stumbled around the trees, tripping over branches and logs. He clutched his side constantly, and soon found it hard to breathe. It became harder to see when sweat clouded his vision. Pain filled every inch of his body. He neared the top of a hill, but found he was too weak to go any further.

_That meant _**a lot**_ of blood loss_, some part of his mind thought.

Draco didn't have time to consider it. He slumped to the ground, still clutching his wound. Neither his body nor mind seemed to notice as he rolled down the hill. Draco was completely numb. As his eyes began to close unwillilngly, he saw his destination in the near distance. He had arrived at the Burrow.

Draco Malfoy was going to the Weasley's for help...

...

End of prologue.


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** as usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter.

_Chapter One_

Ginevra left the Burrow quickly, eager to just get out of the stuffy atmosphere that Molly seemed intent on creating.

With Bill and Fleur's wedding finally over and the Trio gone, Molly had nothing to fuss over. She'd immediately set her sights on Ginny, not letting her out of sight for more than a minute. Ginevra was almost positive that her mother waited for her outside of the toilet... 

Running down the yard, she listened out for her mother's voice, grateful when she didn't hear her name being called. So intent on not being found by Molly, Ginevra didn't notice the lump on the grass until she fell over it.

Quickly turning to see what she'd fallen over, Ginevra was shocked to see that it was a body. She was more than shocked when she realised that the body was none other than Draco Malfoy.

She brought out her wand quickly. Not really sure if she should hex him, Ginevra poked him slightly with the tip of her wand. He did nothing, but his limp body rolled slightly and she saw the blood staining the side of his body. His face was pale and his eyes were closed. He looked so ... vulnerable, as hard as it was to believe.

Ginevra sighed, knowing that she couldn't just leave him here. He'd probably die of blood loss, or worse, her family would find him... She looked around, making sure that her family wasn't in sight. Gently levitating Malfoy, she headed down to the shed.

She opened the door and quickly transfigured the workbench into a bed. Laying him on the bed, Ginevra carefully took off his torn and bloody shirt, then looked at his wound.

Even after the countless years of looking after the countless wounds her brothers managed to get, without feeling sick or queasy, Ginevra was almost sick when she saw the wound that Draco Malfoy had. She hadn't even felt this ill when she'd seen the stitches her father had put in!

After a few minutes of deep breathing, and trying to ignore the stench of dry and fresh blood, Ginevra took her wand and cast a silencing spell on the shed. She didn't want Malfoy to wake up and start screaming in pain.

Trying to hold off her nausea, Ginevra started to clean the blood from his body. She stitched up the wound carefully, checking that Malfoy was still unconscious every so often. Ginevra finished stitching, then cleaned the blood away again. Holding her wand to the skin and stitches, she began to fuse the skin together, the now-useless stitches dropping to the bed.

Ginevra looked at the end result, quite pleased with her work. Not quite up to Healer standards, but she'd done fairly well. There was a slight scar, but it wouldn't be noticed with a small Glamour in place.

She cleaned and repaired his shirt with a few simple spells - those she knew off by heart due to Molly's insistence when she was younger. Curiosity seemed to eat at Ginevra, and she wondered if Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater, as Harry, Ron and Hermione suspected...

"Ginny!" Molly called.

Ginevra cursed softly, then hurried out of the back of the shed, taking a different route to get back to the house. She didn't want anyone to get curious as to why she was in the shed...

"Sorry! I went into the forest for a bit," Ginevra said with a smile.

"You shouldn't go out for so long when Death Eaters are still on the loose," Molly admonished, leading her daughter inside quickly.

The next day found Ginevra stuck in her room, under house arrest by her family; all of them under strict instructions from her mother... Worried about her patient, Ginevra opened her window silently and grabbed her bag, preparing to leave. She had her foot out the window when her door opened, Fred and George standing there. They grinned at her, hurrying into the room and closing the door behind them.

"Running away, are you?" they asked her, still grinning.

"No. I just wanted to get out of the house for a bit without Mother telling me off," Ginevra muttered.

"She has been more attentive to you lately," George mused.

"Glad we're not living here anymore," Fred muttered in return.

"All right then. We'll help you," Fred and George said, winking at her.

Without another word, the twins left her room, going to their own. Within seconds, explosions were occuring in their room and Ginevra could hear Molly yelling at them from the lounge room. Not willing to lose the opportunity, Ginevra hurried out her room and climbed down the tree next to her window.

Quickly checking to make sure no one was looking, Ginevra ran down to the shed. She locked the shed door behind her, then looked over to the bed. Draco Malfoy was still sleeping there, his face pale and sweaty. Hurrying over, Ginevra conjured up a bowl of warm water and a cloth. She started to clean his face, talking to him in soft tones.

As she cleaned his face, she looked over his body to check that her healing was still doing what it was supposed to do. Seeing the large blood stain on his shirt, Ginevra touched it lightly and pulled away with red-stained fingers.

Taking his shirt off, she saw that one of the wounds had reopened, presumably while he was turning in his sleep. Ginevra held the split skin together and again began to stitch and fuse as best as she could.

Just as she finished healing and cleaning the blood, a large explosion from the house startled her. Quickly putting the blanket back on Draco, Ginevra ran up to the Burrow to see what had happened. Forgetting that she was still supposed to be in her room, Ginevra almost ran in through the kitchen. Remembering at the last instant, she cursed and scrambled up the tree, jumping into her room just before the door opened to reveal her mother.

"What ever are the twins doing to cause so much noise?" Ginevra asked innocently.

"They just put a hole in their bedroom floor! A hole, I tell you! This is coming out of their profits from their blasted shop! They have a workroom there, why can't they use it?" Molly yelled down at the twin's room.

"We'll pay to get it fixed, don't worry," Fred and George said.

They wandered down to Molly, both covered in soot from head to toe, and kissed her cheeks, winking at Ginevra.

"You're putting soot everywhere! You're cleaning it up right now!" Molly yelled.

"I thought you said we had to shower first?" Fred asked with a frown.

"We can't clean when we're this dirty!" George said.

The twins ran down the corridor to the bathroom before Molly could get the wooden spoon from the kitchen. Just because they were older, it didn't mean she couldn't still spank them...

"Oh... They're in big trouble when they get out of there," Molly muttered, then turned to her daughter with a sigh. "I suppose you can go out until all of this is cleaned up," she said.

"Thank you!" Ginevra said, hurrying outside before Molly decided that she should help clean too.

Ginevra made her way down to the shed, opening the door slightly to check that Malfoy was still there before walking in and shutting the door behind her.

She walked over to him, seeing how laboured each breath he took was. Looking down at him, she was amazed to see how small and child-like he seemed. Malfoy looked as scared as a child after a nightmare, or during a storm. Brushing a few strands of hair from his face, Ginevra was surprised to feel the need to comfort him. On this realisation, she turned away abruptly, shaking her head.

Don't be protective of him... He's Malfoy, for the gods' sakes! He almost killed Dumbledore... He's a Death Eater. You're just going to heal him, then turn him over to the proper authorities... That is all, she told herself sternly.

She turned back, then checked his wounds to make sure they were healing properly. Seeing that it had opened slightly, Ginevra turned Malfoy on his good side and healed him again, rewrapping the wound in a bandage. Taking the clean clothes out of her bag, she sat him up gently and dressed him, trying not to get flustered in the process.

Once he was clean and dressed, Ginevra lay him back down and watched him sleep a not-so-peaceful sleep. She watched as he tossed slightly, flinging his arm up and stretching the delicate stiches she'd just finished re-sewing. With a sigh, she headed up to the house to find a Calming Draught. She was trying to heal him, the least he could do is not thrash about in his sleep!

Ginevra stopped in the kitchen, trying to block out her mother's raised voice.

Still yelling at Fred and George. Must be all of the pent up energy from not having anyone else in the house, Ginevra mused silently.

She looked in a few cupboards to find a Calming Draught and failed to hear her father enter the kitchen.

"Are you all right, Ginny?" Arthur asked, trying to raise his voice over Molly's yells.

"I'm just looking for a Calming Draught. I was going to put some into Mother's tea," Ginevra said quietly.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, shall I?" Arthur asked, his eyebrow raised slightly. "There are a few vials in the cupboard above the stove," he added as he left the kitchen quickly.

Grinning, Ginevra boiled the kettle and looked in the cupboard above the stove. Just as he'd said, there were three vials of Calming Draught sitting there. Taking one, Ginevra poured half into a teacup, stopped the vial and put it in her pocket carefully.

The kettle finished boiling soon enough, yelling to everyone that it was ready and had to be taken off the stovetop. She poured the hot water in with the Calming Draught and added a tea bag, hoping that would be enough to take away the scent of the Draught.

"Mother!" Ginevra called sweetly. "I've made you a cup of tea. Would you like me to bring it up to you?" she asked, knowing that Molly hated it when they carried hot things up the rickety staircase.

"I'll come down!" Molly called back, sounding reluctant.

Ginevra held the cup and saucer carefully, and waited for her mother to come downstairs. After a few more bouts of yelling at the twins, Molly made her way downstairs.

"Thank you, Ginny dear. My throat was starting to tire too," Molly said, taking the teacup from her.

"You're welcome, I had a feeling it would," Ginevra said with a smile. She waited until Molly had sat down in her armchair before continuing. "I might go out and enjoy the sunshine before it gets darker," she said, leaving before her mother could protest.

Hurrying down to the shed, Ginevra hoped that Malfoy hadn't hurt himself already. She entered the shed and was relieved to see that his wounds weren't bleeding and were still stiched up. Malfoy, however, was still in the midst of his nightmare and moving about.

Sighing to herself, Ginevra wondered how and why she'd gotten herself into this predicament, before going over to the bed. She held Malfoy down with her shoulder and arm, as she had seen her mother do with the twins often enough. Holding his nose, she waited until Malfoy gasped for air to remove the stopper with her teeth and let a few drops of the Draught to fall into his open mouth. Shutting his mouth gently, she held it there until she saw him swallow before letting go of him.

Watching as he relaxed slightly, Ginevra sat by the makeshift bed to ensure that he didn't move about again. A time or two he opened his eyes, but only for a second and he didn't seem to realise where he was or what he was doing, that much she could tell instantly. He cried out in pain more than a few times, startling Ginevra with the soul piercing scream he emitted each time. She was extremely glad that the silencing spell she'd performed before was still there, as his screams would have got everyone's attention in seconds.

She soothed him as best as she could, then cursed softly when she heard her mother calling for her. Ginevra left the shed quickly, going around the back, and through the woods to come out in a completely different direction to where the shed was.

"It's getting dark now, come inside dear," Molly said with a small smile.

"Yes, Mother. Would you like help with dinner?" Ginevra asked dutifully as she followed her into the house.

"It's all right. You can look after your brothers though," she added.

"Yes, Mother," Ginevra said, going up to the twins room.

Their door was no longer there, and a large scorch mark had imprinted itself along the corridor. The room was filled with soot, yet Fred and George were grinning at each other broadly, their beds imaculate due to Molly's exasperation at their inability to clean properly.

"You two really did a good job," Ginevra drawled, surveying everything.

"Since we did it for you, you can help us clean!" they said immediately, dragging her into the room.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly do that when I'm underage!" Ginevra protested, looking at them innocently.

"Nonsense, dear sister!" George exclaimed cheerfully.

"We have Mum's wand for you to use," Fred said with a grin, handing it to her.

"Mother's going to be annoyed with you again," Ginevra said with a sigh, cleaning all of the soot with a few spells.

"Then we'd better clean everything before she notices that her wand is gone," Fred and George said cheerfully, setting about their room and tidying up faster than they ever had before.

In about fifteen minutes, the room was clean and tidy, not even the scorch mark visible on the wooden floor. Fred and George took the wand from Ginevra, then quietly made their way downstairs to retrieve the chicken wand they'd replaced it with. They hurried upstairs before Molly could come out of the kitchen and scold them again.

"Now, are you going to tell us what you're hiding in the shed?" they asked quietly, sitting across from Ginevra and looking at her seriously.

"Nothing," Ginevra lied, not looking them in the eyes.

"Don't lie to us, Ginevra. We know you better than that..." Fred said.

"We can't help you hide whatever is in there if you don't tell us what it is," Geogre said.

Ginevra sighed and nodded.

"It might be better if you see for yourselves. It'll take too long to explain," she muttered, rubbing her face with her hands. "I'll convince Mother, you two stay here," Ginevra said, going downstairs.

Making her way downstairs quietly, Ginevra found Molly in the kitchen, working busily.

"Mother?"

Molly looked up and nodded for her to talk, too intent on cutting the meat to talk.

"Do you mind if I go outside with Fred and George?" she asked.

Molly looked out of the window with a frown.

"It's getting rather late. It would be better if you stayed inside," she said.

"But we won't be leaving the backyard! Please, Mother? It will get the twins out of the house," Ginevra cajoled. "We'll be back in time for tea, I promise," she added, pleading with Molly.

Sighing, Molly shook her head.

"Fine. I want you all back by seven on the dot," Molly warned, pointing the knife at Ginevra.

"Thank you!" Ginevra said, then hurried up to get Fred and George. "Hurry up before she changes her mind," she muttered, the three of them hurrying out the back door.

"How'd you do it?" Fred and George asked, incredulous. "We can't even get a glass of water from her anymore!" they muttered.

"I begged and promised to be back in by seven," Ginevra said, opening the shed door and ushering them inside.

Fred and George stopped short when they saw who was at the other end of the shed, sleeping.

"Ginevra, you do realise that's Draco Malfoy, don't you?" they asked her, their eyes not leaving his form.

"Yes, I know," Ginevra said crossly, pushing past them and going over to Draco.

She checked his stitches, repairing another one that had split.

"Did you do that yourself?" Fred asked, George peering at the wound curiously.

"Yes. He was hurt when he got here, and I've healed it as best as I could, but he's still not waking up," Ginevra said, cooling his forehead with a damp cloth.

"I doubt he did something like that to himself, Gin," George said.

"Most likely Voldemort's wrath for failing him," Fred said.

They had all heard of Malfoy's reluctance to kill Dumbledore from Harry, and knew that Voldemort would not be happy with him, even if Dumbledore had been killed in the end.

"If he isn't waking up, then his mind is probably trying to heal itself," Fred and George said, their knowledge of curses outweighing even Bill and Hermione's due to their curiosity and joking nature.

"Does he have any friends you can owl?" George asked.

"They might be able to help him further," Fred added, seeing Ginevra's reluctance.

"I don't want to risk sending out our owls; they're too recognisable. And I'm not sure he even has friends," Ginevra murmured.

"What about that Parkinson girl?" they asked.

"I don't know who to trust. Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Goyle and Crabbe... Any one of them could turn him over in an instant sooner than help him," Ginevra said.

"Well, think about this. We know that Nott is no good; his father's a Death Eater. So that means Goyle and Crabbe are out too. That leaves Parkinson and Zabini. We know that Zabini isn't a Death Eater, because his mother wouldn't allow him to ruin her reputation like that," Fred and George said, snickering softly at the thought of Madam Zabini's seven deceased husbands.

"I think that Pansy Parkinson is betrothed to Draco, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't hand him over. If it means she gets the Malfoy fortune, she'll do anything... Blaise Zabini wouldn't do that because he already has his own fortune to inherit," Ginevra mused.

"Then you know what to do," Fred and George said decisively. "We'll take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow for school supplies and you can owl him with a normal owl from the Owl Post. We doubt it will be stopped," they murmured.

Ginevra nodded, hugging them and thanking them profusely.

"It's fine, Ginevra. We had better get back, it's almost seven," Fred and George said, seeing their pocket watches.

---

_End of chapter one_


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: as usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter...

_Chapter Two_

"Kerry, inform Blaise that an owl has a letter for him," Siren drawled, barely looking at the house-elf before her. She dipped her quill in the ink, then continued to write her letter.

"Yes, Ma'am," Kerry squeaked, bowing. Taking hold of the calm owl, she popped to Blaise's room. She knocked on the door and waited for the young Master to answer.

"You can come in, Kerry," Blaise said, opening his door and smiling at the house-elf.

"Kerry could not do that without Master Blaise's permission!" she protested quickly, holding the owl out in her trembling hands. "Ma'am said you have a letter," Kerry said.

"Did she read it?" Blaise asked as he took the owl and letter from her.

"No. The seal is still there, and Kerry saw the owl arrive. Ma'am did not open or read it," Kerry replied.

"Thank you, Kerry. That will be all," Blaise said, shutting the door as Kerry bowed and left.

Hoping that it was from Draco, Blaise looked at the envelope as he walked into his adjoining room. Not recognising the handwriting, he opened the letter carefully. When nothing happened, Blaise pulled out the letter and read it, a frown forming on his face.

_Zabini,_

_I know this may be odd, me writing to you, but I think we have a mutual friend._

_Meet me at Madam Malkin's in an hour if you can make it. If not, then send a reply with the owl - it's already paid for._

_Weaselette._

Curious about what kind of 'friend' Weasley would think she would ever have in common with _him_, Blaise wrote back a short reply saying he'd be there.

Watching until the owl had faded from sight, Blaise then went to the sitting room where his mother was writing a letter.

_Probably to Narcissa. She'd been beside herself since Draco's disappearance_, Blaise mused.

"Mother, I'm going to Diagon Alley. I need to buy my school supplies," he said.

"Do you want me to go with you, dear?" Siren asked, looking up at him.

"I'll be fine Mother, don't worry," Blaise said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Are you positive? I would rather that someone went with you," she said, frowning.

"I'll take Kerry with me then," he replied with a sigh.

"Thank you, dear," Siren said, obviously relieved. "I wouldn't want you to disappear like poor Draco did. Narcissa hasn't been herself lately. I think I will invite her for dinner tonight," she murmured, almost to herself.

"It would do her good to be out of the Manor," Blaise agreed with a nod. "I will be back later. Love you," he murmured, kissing his mother's perfect cheek tenderly.

"You too, dear. Have a good time," she said, smiling at him.

Blaise just nodded, then went back to his room, calling Kerry.

"Master Blaise called Kerry?" she asked, bowing before him.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley. You're to accompany me," Blaise said.

"Yes, Master Blaise," Kerry said, bowing again.

"Mother is inviting Narcissa over for dinner. Make sure that her favourite meal is served," Blaise said. "I will be ready to leave in half an hour. That is all," he said.

"Yes, Master Blaise. Kerry thanks Master Blaise for warning her," Kerry said, then disappeared to inform the kitchen elves.

Ginevra waited in front of Madam Malkin's, wondering if he'd show up. Fred and George were waiting in their shop nearby, watching in case something went wrong. She'd already bought her school supplies (after begging Molly to let her go with the twins instead of Molly herself. Molly hadn't been too happy, but she'd agreed that it was good to get the house to herself) and was now waiting ten minutes earlier than the required time. Five minutes later, Blaise arrived, a quivering house-elf by his side.

"You're drawing too much attention to yourself here, Weasley. Come with me," Blaise drawled, leading her away without so much as a 'hello'.

Kerry glared at the red-headed girl when she scowled at Master Blaise behind his back.

Blaise opened the door to _Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes_ and let Ginevra enter first. Fred and George looked up at the bell, then nodded to the back of the shop.

Fred handed Ginevra the key to the back room.

"Yell if he does anything," George murmured in her ear.

Ginevra just nodded, then led Blaise down the small hallway to the back room. She opened it then went inside, Blaise following.

"You could have been a bit more polite, Zabini," Ginevra grounded out between clenched teeth.

"I didn't want to exchange formalities in the middle of a crowded street with a _Weasley_. People would have been suspicious immediately. We've never acknowledged each other before," Blaise pointed out.

Ginevra let out a sigh, and nodded.

"Fine. You're probably curious about the letter I sent you. I didn't want to say too much; I wasn't sure who would read it before you," Ginevra said.

"Understandable, considering the times we're in at the moment," Blaise said with a nod, then he looked at her seriously. "What kind of mutual friend do you think _we_ could possibly have, Weasley?"

"You know that Draco Malfoy has been missing since that night at Hogwarts," Ginevra continued, as if she hadn't heard a word he'd said.

She looked at Blaise then, trying to gauge his emotions and reaction to what she'd said. His face showed nothing, but there was something in his eyes that made her trust him, so she continued on.

"I found him in my yard two days ago. He was injured and I've healed him to the best of my ability. Despite the fact that his wound is healed, he won't wake up. Fred and George think it's something to do with his mind. I don't know if I can help him with that... I don't know anything about him, and you were the only one we would trust not to turn him over to the Ministry or Voldemort," Ginevra said, lowering her voice at His name.

"Take me to him," Blaise said, his dark face paling at the thought of Draco being in pain and him not being there with him, or able to help him.

Ginevra nodded, slightly surprised at the emotion in his voice. She hurried out to the front, where Fred and George were waiting, trying not to look anxious and scare their customers.

"We're going back home. Don't tell Mother I'm there if she Floo's, okay?" Ginevra asked.

"You be careful, Ginevra," Fred and George said, their tones low.

"Of course," Ginevra said, hugging them both before going to the back room again.

"Kerry, return to the Mansion and tell Mother I may be late tonight, all right? Assure her that I am fine, and if she asks where I am, say I am with a friend, is that understood?" Blaise asked Kerry, looking at her sternly.

"Kerry will do as Master Blaise asks," the house-elf said with a bow.

Kerry disappeared and Ginevra threw Floo powder in the fireplace, hoping that her mother was going to catch up on sleeping, as she'd said she would.

Ginevra stepped into the lounge room, listening out for her mother. Hearing snores floating from her parent's room, she sighed in relief, then quickly brushed the soot off her robes. Blaise was behind her a moment later, brushing off his robes as well. He heard Molly's snores, wrinkling his nose at the loud sound.

"Surely she has heard of anti-snoring potions?" he drawled as they left the house through the kitchen.

"Of course, but Mother is adamant that she doesn't snore," Ginevra said with a grin.

Ginevra opened the door to the shed and went inside, Blaise right behind her.

"Why on earth are you housing him in this **tin** shed?" he asked, obviously shocked at the state of Draco's premises. "I doubt this place is helping with his healing; I wouldn't want to wake up to _this_ either," Blaise drawled in disgust.

"I can't very well take him inside, can I? My parents would have a fit! Not to mention the fact that Ron and the others could return at any time. If they saw him there, they'd turn him over to the authorities in an instant," Ginevra said angrily.

Blaise must have realised this, and looked ashamed of himself for a moment.

"Yes, well... Thank you for looking after Draco. I am sure that it must have been a hard decision for you to make, considering the blood feud and all that," he said, sounding genuine.

"You're welcome," Ginevra replied, pleased that he had enough manners to thank her. "It wasn't too hard, actually. I would have helped anyone else in his position, and didn't think it was fair to be discriminative just because of a person's last name," she said, shrugging. "Besides, the blood feud was just an over reaction on our ancestor's part."

"What happened to him?" Blaise asked, going over to Draco and seeing the bandages on his side.

"I think it was a spelled sword that cut him. A spell on its own would have caused the skin to curl at the edges, and a normal cut would have been smaller than what he had. A sword answers for the length and preciseness of the cut," Ginevra replied.

Blaise nodded, his eyes clouded as he touched Draco's pale cheek tenderly.

"Do you want some time alone with him?" Ginevra asked. "He could probably do with a familiar voice, instead of little old me," she added with a grin, then left them alone in the shed.

Grateful that she had left without his prompting, Blaise turned to Draco with a sigh.

"I warned you, Draco. I **told** you that nothing good would come of this. Your poor mother is beside herself and you've been making me worry like mad," Blaise said softly, stroking his hair. "You should have come to me. I would have looked after you, just as I did before."

Blaise kissed Draco's cold lips, pulling away when there was a knock on the shed door. Ginevra entered and looked at them for a moment.

"Mother's awake, so that gives us five minutes for you to get out of here," she said.

Nodding, Blaise looked at Draco one more time before following Ginevra up to the 'house'.

"You love him, don't you?" she asked as they headed up the hill.

"I beg your pardon?" Blaise asked, shocked that she'd ask him such a personal question.

"It's all right if you do," Ginevra said. "I was just wondering. Your entire behaviour changes when you look at him," she said with a smile. "Does he know?" she asked.

"Yes," Blaise replied in a short tone.

"So does he feel the same about you?" Ginevra asked, grinning at him.

"I don't know," Blaise said with a shrug.

He quickly shut his mouth when he realised exactly what he was talking about, and with whom. _Why didn't he just shout it to Skeeter, for the gods' sakes?_

"I promise I won't tell anyone," Ginevra said quickly, seeing the look on his face.

"I'll return in a few days to check up on him," Blaise said quietly when they reached the lounge room.

Ginevra nodded and Blaise Flooed away just as Molly came downstairs.

"Back already? Where are your brothers?" Molly asked.

"I got back a few minutes ago. Fred and George are at the shop. Some last minute customers came," Ginevra said truthfully.

Molly nodded, then went into the kitchen. Ginevra quickly Flooed the twins telling them that Molly was awake, and that Blaise had left. By the time Molly returned with a cup of tea, Ginevra was sitting on an armchair innocently.

End of the second chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me.

_Chapter Three_

Over the next few weeks, Blaise returned to see Draco, and talk with Ginevra. Not that he wanted to admit it, but Blaise found that Ginevra was quite intelligent and good company. They played wizard's chess next to Draco, watching for a sign of movement other than his deep breathing.

Molly had almost caught him once when he was about to Floo home, but Fred and George had distracted her long enough for Ginevra to practically push Blaise into the green flames.

They commented on how well Draco was looking, neither one wanting to be the first to suggest going to St. Mungo's. Both Ginevra and Blaise knew exactly what would happen if they took him to the wizarding hospital. The Medic would see his left arm and turn him over without even giving him medical attention; such was the protocol, not to mention the hefty reward they would get for turning him over to the Ministry.

The Daily Prophet had started to run daily issues when he'd first disappeared, telling the wizarding world that Draco Malfoy had disappeared and was considered dangerous. Anyone who found him was to turn him in to the proper authorities immediately. This had made people suspicious. The Ministry already had Lucius Malfoy in custody, and therefore their family fortune, what was the heir to them? A month after his disappearance, the Prophet had started to offer people a large reward, four hundred Galleons to be precise, and all of the suspicious and wary people had begun to search fervently for the Malfoy heir.

Blaise had arrived unscheduled, a few hours after that issue had come out, almost expecting that Ginevra had handed Draco over and collected the money. She was hurt, but had understood his fear. That day they'd increased the spells and wards around the shed so no one would notice anything special about it, and Ginevra promised that she wouldn't turn Draco over to the Ministry, no matter how much money they promised.

In her mind, it wasn't right. The wizarding world had practically gone into hiding when Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, an innocent convicted of murder who was wandless. Draco had disappeared, and was a Death Eater, no matter that he was wandless. The Daily Prophet had never offered a reward for Sirius, why would they offer one for Draco? Voldemort was obviously pulling the strings at the Ministry once more.

As Ginevra moved her queen, Draco groaned and they both turned to him quickly, the game of chess immediately forgotten.

"Draco?" Blaise queried, running a hand through his hair tenderly.

"Is he awake?" Ginevra asked, moving beside him.

There was another groan and Draco's eyes fluttered open slowly. He looked at the two faces above him, then at his surroundings, his pale face not showing one emotion. His mind was too weary for emotions at the moment, but it wouldn't be long. He didn't seem to recognise who Ginevra and Blaise were, but as his mind became clearer and his senses regained themselves, he blinked a few times, looking at them.

"Where am I?" Draco asked with a groan, trying to sit up.

Both Ginevra and Blaise put hands on his shoulders to keep him down.

"Stay there. You can't sit up too quickly, or the blood'll rush to your head and you'll faint," Ginevra said.

Draco just looked at her, too tired to argue with her. Blaise helped him sit up slowly, conjuring pillows for him.

"Where am I?" he asked again, slightly annoyed at having to repeat himself.

"You're at the Burrow. Well, kind of. You're in a shed in our backyard," Ginevra said.

"Well, that's a relief. I didn't think your home could be this small with all of those brothers of yours," Draco muttered.

"Draco, try to be nice, would you?" Blaise said with a sigh, recognising the look on Ginevra's face.

Draco just gave a small nod, but had the decency to look apologetic.

"You've been in here for four weeks. It's almost been six weeks since you left Hogwarts," Blaise informed him.

"Is Mother okay?" Draco asked immediately, paling at the thought of her being alone for so long.

"She's fine now. Voldemort held her captive after you escaped, but he released her after a few days. People were starting to talk about her absence," Blaise replied, soothing him. "She's been worried sick about you, though," he added.

"I've got to get to her," Draco said, trying to get the quilt off him.

He yelped in pain as his stitches stretched, and Ginevra held him down as she undid his badages.

"You bloody idiot! Do you know how long it's taken for me to heal you?" she muttered, cleaning up the seeping blood.

Thankfully, his actions hadn't torn open the stitches this time and a small healing spell could be used without alerting the Ministry.

"Sorry," Draco murmured, feeling faint again. "Do you have the Daily Prophet for me to read? I want to know what they're saying about me," he said.

Ginevra and Blaise shared glances, making Draco worry, not to mention the twinge of jealousy he felt. Ginevra left the shed quietly, closing the door behind her.

"What are they saying?" he grounded out, managing a glare when Blaise didn't reply.

"The Daily Prophet has been offering a reward for your capture. When they didn't get it after two weeks, they proclaimed you dead," Blaise said gently.

"How is Mother holding up?" Draco asked after a moment of silence.

"She refuses to believe that you're dead," Blaise said simply, Draco knowing his mother's stubbornness.

Ginevra returned to the shed, the recent issues of the Daily Prophet bundled in her arms.

"Fred and George have been keeping them for me. This one was released a few days after you escaped from Voldemort," she said, handing it to him.

The next few hours were spent on getting Draco up to date with everything that had been happening in the wizarding world. More often than not, his picture was on the front page, 'WANTED for GALLEONS' written above his head, the reward of four hundred Galleons in even bigger writing below. A few of the issues had the Trio featured on the front page, talking of their disappearance too, but it had dwindled down when the Daily Prophet had realised that they had no new information to go on - there were only a certain amount of interviews you could do with the Molly and Arthur Weasley, after all.

Draco finished reading and was silent for a moment. In the silence, they heard a door slam shut.

"Ginny!" Molly called, sounding happier than she had in a long time.

Frowning, Ginevra looked at her watch. It was too early for dinner, and far too late for an afternoon snack. Fred and George would never do anything to make Molly sound so happy, and Arthur had already gotten a raise, so unless he had been promoted, then there was only one other thing that would make her so happy.

"The Trio's back," Ginevra grounded out with a snarl. "Stay here, I'll come back as soon as it's safe. I might be a while," she said apologetically, hurrying out of the shed and going into the forest, snatching up an emergency bunch of flowers and walking out of the path, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"There you are, dear!" Molly said, smiling at her daughter brightly, not noticing how forced Ginevra's smile was. "What lovely flowers," she said with another smile. "I have excellent news. You're brother's returned. Harry and Hermione are with him," she added, giving her a wink at the mention of Harry's name.

"That's great," Ginevra said. "Are Fred and George here?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," Molly said with a small sigh.

Ginevra bit her tongue so she wouldn't say anything, and just gave a nod, hurrying up to the Burrow. She had to get Fred and George to create another distraction for her.

...

Blaise looked at Draco for a moment, wondering if he should remind him of what had happened the last night they'd seen each other. He'd been thinking of little else since they had kissed, and sighed, knowing that it wouldn't be right to bring it up now.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked, concern on his face.

"You made me worry, Draco. Why didn't you just come to me for help?" Blaise asked, pushing away his other thoughts quickly.

"I wasn't in the best shape to really think about where I was heading," Draco said between gritted teeth. "I kept remembering Father and a game we played with the Portkey map when I was younger," he said.

Blaise nodded, knowing the game he was referring to, having played it once with Draco himself.

"They were following me, and I didn't want them to get to you," Draco said.

"I would have held them off," Blaise whispered.

"I know that," Draco said calmly, looking at him with his silver eyes, emotions swirling through them. "I didn't want you to get hurt protecting me. Besides, they would have never thought to look for me here," he said, laughing shortly, then quickly held his side in pain.

"Do you want me to look at it?" Blaise asked, getting up quickly.

"I'll be fine," Draco said, his breathing shallow.

"No, you're not, Draco. I'll get Ginevra; she'll help," Blaise said, getting worried about the sweat that was starting to form on Draco's forehead.

"Blaise," Draco said, making him stop in his tracks.

Turning to look at him, Blaise was shocked to see Draco crying. He hurried over and held him to his body gently, feeling his forehead at the same time.

"I think you've got a fever," Blaise murmured.

Draco didn't reply, he just held Blaise tighter, almost afraid to let go of him.

That was how Ginevra found them, wrapped around each other, Blaise whispering soothing words into Draco's ear.

She looked at Blaise, who looked worried, then to Draco, who was starting to get hot and clammy.

"Draco, you need to let go of Blaise now," Ginevra said softly, gently placing her hands on his.

Reluctantly, Draco let go of him, his teeth chattering.

"I feel hot, why am I so cold?" he said between shivers.

"How long's he been like this?" Ginevra asked Blaise, getting out a cloth from her bag and damping at the sink in the corner.

"Since you left. He wouldn't let me go get you," Blaise replied.

"That's good. The Trio would have found you immediately," Ginevra said with a nod, putting the cloth on Draco's forehead. "Can you get that blanket over there?" she asked Blaise, nodding over to the thick blanket.

Blaise passed her the blanket and watched as she placed it over Draco's shivering body.

"We don't have any anti-fever potions in the house, so he'll have to sweat it out. Can you make sure that the blanket stays on him?" Ginevra asked.

"Of course," Blaise said, moving back over to Draco's side quickly. "I'll look after him. Just make sure that the Trio don't find us," he said quietly.

"Fred and George are helping me with it," Ginevra replied with a nod, checking her pocket watch. "I've got to get back. Stay safe. Your mother knows you're all right, doesn't she?" she asked with a frown.

"Kerry will tell her that I'm at a friend's house," Blaise said with a nod, urging her to leave when they heard her name being called.

With a quick nod, Ginevra rushed out of the shed and around to the forest. Grabbing another collection of flowers, she emerged from the forest, smiling brightly once more.

"Still like collecting flowers at your age, Gin?" Harry asked with a grin.

"I'm not too old to enjoy flowers!" Ginevra retorted, hitting him with the bunch of flowers, just so he wouldn't look over to the shed.

"Well, I suppose the saying 'sweet sixteen and never been kissed' doesn't apply, right?" Harry joked, kissing her cheek.

Ginevra tried not to flinch, but she could feel all of her blood draining from her face and her grip tightened on the flowers so much that liquids started to seep out from the stems.

"I better go get cleaned up and help Mother," she muttered, practically running up to the house.

Ginevra flung the flowers onto the kitchen table, then ran up to the bathroom, scrubbing her hands harshly. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Ginevra tried to calm herself down, but she suddenly had the urge to scratch her skin off where he'd kissed her. She shuddered, then began to scrub viciously at her cheek. It wasn't until her cheek was almost raw, and she heard Fred and George calling her, that Ginevra stopped.

She opened the bathroom door without a word, Fred and George looking at her with their mouths hanging open. They hurried inside, shutting the door behind them firmly.

"What happened? Did ... someone hit you?" they asked, their voices lowered.

"No, of course not. He's got a fever, probably from the shock of being awake," Ginevra replied, her voice low too. "Harry kissed me," she said in disgust. "If he thinks that I'm going to be all happy that he's back after what he did to me, he's got another thing coming! He dumped me to go save the world, and just because he's back for a day or two, it doesn't mean we can go back to what we were before that!" she said, too annoyed and angry to keep her voice down any longer.

There was a knock at the door, stilling the three of them.

"Ginny? Molly says she needs your help with dinner," Harry said from outside the door.

By the tone of his voice, he'd obviously heard what she'd said about him, but Ginevra was worried if he'd heard about Draco having a fever. She was lucky she hadn't used his name, and maybe she would be lucky enough that Harry hadn't heard that part of the conversation.

Sending Fred and George a meaningful glance, Ginevra rubbed her other cheek before opening the door, to make it look like she was just flushed. Her head held high, she walked past Harry without sparing him another glance.

She heard Fred and George questioning Harry as she went downstairs and smirked slightly at their protective nature.

"Gin, that you?" Ron asked, grinning at her. "You were smirking, and I swear you looked like Malfoy for a second there," he said, laughing at his own joke.

"Yeah right. Are you going to help with dinner?" she asked, knowing the kind of reaction it would get from Ron.

He paled and ran from the room as fast as he could.

Predictable, Ginevra thought to herself, shaking her head.

She hurried to the kitchen when heard Molly call, and gave her an apologetic grin.

"Sorry, Mother. I was delayed," Ginevra said innocently.

Molly took one look at her daughter, and immediately noticed the fact that her cheeks were red, presumably from blushing. She just smiled at her and nodded, turning back to the pot on the stove.

"That's all right, dear. Try to come here sooner next time," she said, missing the sour look Ginevra gave her.

"Yes, Mother," Ginevra said dutifully.

...

End of the third chapter

...


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter...

...

_Chapter Four_

...

Soon after night fell, it started to get cold in the small shed. Blaise lay down next to Draco, holding the blanket tightly around them.

_Body warmth would help keep Draco warm_, he reasoned with himself, trying to come up with an excuse if they were found this way. _Well, if they were found by anyone other than Ginevra, she seemed to be all right with it_, Blaise thought, then looked at Draco.

After a while, Blaise felt Draco's forehead, then got out of the makeshift bed with a small sigh. Damping the cloth, he replaced it on Draco's forehead, then sat next to him, watching him breathe. His stomach rumbled, but he ignored it easily enough.

The door opened quietly and he turned to see Ginevra there, puffing.

"I'm so sorry. Fred and George only just managed to get everyone's attention away from me," Ginevra muttered, hurrying over.

She was carrying two plates of food that she'd managed to get by offering to clean up the kitchen and dining room. As Blaise ate the food gratefully, he watched as Ginevra woke Draco up, encouraging him to eat. A spark of jealousy shot through Blaise, and he was surprised that he was jealous of both of them. They way Draco was staring at Ginevra as she fed him, the way her hand was resting on his shoulder. Looking at both of them together, his heart twinged and he sighed, making a decision in an instant. He would let them be together, he would leave them alone now. They didn't need him around to complicate a blossoming romance.

Ginevra looked over to see Blaise staring at something only he could see, his mind obviously off somewhere else. She smiled at him and shook her head, going over to him. She waved a hand in front of his face.

"You all right there, Blaise?" she asked with a grin.

"Yes," he replied absent-mindedly, giving her a small smile. "I'll be out of your way soon," Blaise said.

Draco paled, looking stricken.

"Don't go," he said, his voice sounding strained.

Both Ginevra and Blaise hurried over to Draco, comforting him and reassuring him that they wouldn't leave him. Soon, fever took Draco's mind to the comfort of darkness, and they watched him sleep. Ginevra turned to Blaise, a glare on her face.

"Why would you say that? You think that he won't need you know that he's awake? He'll need you now even more than before," she said.

"I know," Blaise said, sighing. "I just thought you two would want time to be alone," he murmured, feeling foolish for saying it.

"Why on earth would we want that?" Ginevra asked, perplexed, her eyebrow raised.

"Never mind. You should return to your family," Blaise said, going back over to Draco.

Ginevra frowned at him for a moment, but when he didn't say anything else, she went over to the door, still feeling confused.

"Good night," she said, quietly leaving and hurrying up to the Burrow.

"Good night, Ginvera," Blaise murmured, caressing Draco's pale cheek.

...

Ginevra wondered at Blaise's comment so much that her parents even noticed a change in her behaviour.

"Ginny, dear? Are you all right? You've been staring at the Otherworld for minutes now," Molly said with a smile.

"I was just thinking about something. Sorry," Ginevra said, flushing at being caught.

"Well, perhaps you should do something about what you're thinking about," Molly said, giving a knowing smile over in Harry's direction.

Ginevra bit her tongue so she wouldn't say something that she'd regret. Molly looked at her, still smiling. Ginevra just nodded and left the kitchen, going over to where Fred and George were trying to distract Ron and Harry's chess pieces.

"Can I talk with you for a minute?" Ginevra asked the twins.

They looked at her face, then nodded briefly, standing and following her upstairs.

Molly frowned, then just assumed that Ginny had been too shy to tell Harry about her feelings for him outright, and returned to making dinner.

"What's wrong, Ginevra?" Fred and George asked, sitting on her bed and looking at her seriously.

"I need you two to go to the shed. I've gone as many times as I can without raising suspicion, but I'm being watched even more than before," she muttered, annoyed at the fact.

Hermione had taken to reading her books outside on the porch, which just so happened to face the shed. Fred and George had barely managed to distract her while Ginevra hurried out of the shed, and into the forest. Molly had taken to watching Ginevra from the kitchen window, checking where she was going in the evening. Fred and George distracted Molly a few times, but couldn't keep it up without making her suspicious of them.

"We know. You will have to distract Mother for us," Fred and George whispered.

"I'll convince her to let all of us play Quidditch," Ginevra said, a smirk on her face as she left her room and headed downstairs.

"Ronnie-kins was right," George muttered to Fred.

"Looked exactly like Malfoy," Fred agreed, nodding.

They headed downstairs quietly - being pranksters of their experience gave them a very good advantage - and heard Ginevra pleading with their mother, loudly. The noise brought Hermione inside, giving Fred and George adequate time to slip past Harry and Ron quietly and down to the shed. They opened the door to face the pointy end of Blaise's wand.

"Put it away, Zabini," they drawled, pushing the wand to the side. "You'll get us all caught," they muttered, going over to Draco, who was sleeping again.

"Where's Ginevra?" Blaise asked, putting his wand away.

"She's being watched too much and couldn't risk coming here herself. She sent us instead and is distracting Mother," Fred replied, George checking Draco's temperature.

"You all right being here? It's been days since your house-elf left to tell your Mother you were at a friend's place," George said, a slight frown on his face.

"I'm fine. My mother won't worry too much. She'll just think that I'm having such a great time with my friend that I haven't bothered to owl," Blaise drawled. "Do you think he's getting better?" he asked, looking at Draco tenderly.

"Definitely, considering how he was when we first saw him," they replied. "A week more and he'll be as good as new. Well, physically that is. We have no idea about his mental state," Fred and George said with shrugs.

"He seems to be all right," Blaise murmured, but a frown was on his face. "But he seemed to be all right last year, and then I find out he's joined Voldemort's ranks," he said with a sigh, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair.

"He probably would have been sworn to secrecy," Fred and George said, trying to ease his pain. "And if he cares for you as much as you care for him, then he would not have wanted you to be hurt with the knowledge of what he'd done under threat."

Blaise looked at them sharply, glaring.

"How do you know so much? " he hissed at them, a dagger slipping into his hand.

"Harry told us exactly what Draco said up in the tower the night Albus was killed," Fred and George replied simply.

They weren't afraid of his dagger, but they were sure that he **would** use it on them if he had to.

Blaise nodded and the dagger disappeared into his sleeve with a small motion.

"Tell me what you know about that night. Oddly enough, my Housemates and I weren't told much, just that Snape and Draco had disappeared, and Dumbledore was dead," Blaise said, sounding sarcastic.

Fred and George nodded in understanding, then began to tell him everything that Potter had told them, and everything that had happened that night, from Draco with the Hand of Glory and the powder they'd sold to him, to the Death Eater barrier and Dumbledore's death.

They heard Ginevra's voice getting louder and quietened when they heard her words.

"You think you're all so big just because you've fought off a Kappa demon! That doesn't mean I can't kick your butts in Quidditch!" she yelled at Ron and Harry, who jeered back in good nature.

While their attention was distracted, Blaise looked out of the window. His fist clenched in anger when he saw the way that Potter was staring at Ginevra. With a lot of self control, he forced himself to relax, then turned away from the window and back to the twins.

Ginevra looked at the shed, not ceasing with her banter. She's seen Blaise's face there, and wondered what had made him look so angry.

"Come on then! Bet I'll still get a goal past you," she said with a grin, poking Ron and running down to the field, her broom over her shoulder.

Ron and Harry ran after her, glad to feel like normal teenagers again. Harry couldn't help but look at Ginny's behind as she ran in front of them, desire pulsing through his veins. Ron was oblivious to his best friend's stare.

...

Ginevra joked with Harry and Ron as they returned to the Burrow. Even with Harry helping Ron at the goals, she had managed to get in a lot of goals before Harry had found their makeshift Snitch. She tried to push away her feeling of disgust, having caught Harry staring at her more often than not. Ron had been concentrating on the Quaffle far too seriously to notice anything wrong with either of them.

She felt Harry's gaze sliding over to her again, and folded her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling exposed.

"There you guys are! Why didn't you offer for us to play with you?" Fred and George asked, standing on either side of Ginevra and draping their arms around her shoulders.

They'd seen Harry's look from the kitchen window and had seen how uncomfortable Ginevra felt, even from there. They'd hurried over, coming to Ginevra's rescue before two certain Slytherin's decided to announce themselves by bashing Potter's head in. As much as Fred and George would have enjoyed that, they doubted that Ginevra would be too pleased with Draco and Blaise ending up in Azkaban because of her. Fred and George looked at each other over Ginevra's head, remembering how protective Draco and Blaise had been of Ginevra when they'd talked with them about her.

Draco had woken up soon after they'd started to tell their tale, and had listened to their version of events quietly. He had agreed to confirm that it was true, then started to give his views on certain aspects of the night. It was certainly enlightening and intriguing, but he had refused to tell them anything that had happened afterwards, apart from how he'd made his way to the Burrow. They weren't so sure they _wanted_ to know what had happened, seeing the haunted look in his eyes and the pain it caused him just thinking about it.

"We didn't know where you were, and Ginny couldn't be bothered trying to find you," Ron replied to the twins' question, grinning at Ginny.

"**You** didn't want to go either!" Ginevra protested, hitting his arm.

Ron just laughed, then looked at Harry, a frown on his face.

"You all right, mate? You've been awfully quiet. Upset that we lost, huh?" Ron said, grinning again.

"You _lost_?" Fred and George, looking at their sister with newfound respect.

"We agreed to make the Snitch worth fifty points," Harry muttered.

"What was the score?" Fred and George asked.

"Seventy to fifty," Ginevra said proudly, smirking at Ron and Harry.

"You let _seven_ goals in? You'll be lucky if we don't tell Oliver!" Fred and George exclaimed.

"He's not the Gryffindor captain anymore, guys," Ron said, frowning at them.

Fred and George grinned.

"But he can put in a good word for you with the Cannons. He definitely won't do that if he finds out that you let **seven** goals in," they replied, laughing when he went white.

"Don't tell him!" Ron pleaded.

"We'll think about it," Fred and George replied offhandedly, smirking at each other.

"I better go help Mother with dinner. Who wants to help me?" Ginevra asked.

All four boys muttered lame excuses, then left as fast as they could.

"I'll help you, Ginny," Hermione said, standing up from her seat on the porch and heading over to her.

Ginevra nodded, wondering why she felt uneasy around Hermione. She glanced at her as they walked into the Burrow, then realised why. Hermione was looking at Ginevra as if to say 'I know that you're hiding something'. She kept her emotions under control, then went into the kitchen, making sure to hug Molly.

"Oh my! I think it would be best if you had a shower! You can help when you're finished," Molly said.

"Are you sure?" Ginevra asked sweetly.

"Quite sure. Off you go," Molly said, ushering Ginny out of the kitchen quickly.

Smirking to herself, Ginevra hurried upstairs and into the bathroom. She took her time in the shower, knowing that Molly wouldn't be satisfied with a two minute shower, as well as the fact that she wanted to stay as far away from Hermione for as long as she could. Ginevra eventually finished showering, then went down to the kitchen after changing into cleaner clothes.

"There you are. I was about to send the boys up to see what had happened to you," Molly said with a smile.

"Sorry Mother. I will try to be quicker next time,' Ginevra said with a fake smile.

Molly always did this - nothing ever pleased her. She either complained about how long they took in the shower, or how short their shower was and how they'd "_never be clean with such a short shower_".

Molly just nodded at her, then indicated over to the carrots.

"Peel and boil those for me," she said, then turned to Hermione. "Would you mind setting the table please, dear?" Molly asked sweetly.

Hermione smiled brightly then grabbed the utensils, plates and glasses as if she was going to do the most exciting chore in the world.

Ginevra rolled her eyes as she peeled the carrots, looking out of the window at the shed. She wondered how Draco and Blaise were doing, fervently wishing she was in there with them rather than here doing menial chores that would take Molly a second with her wand.

"Are you almost done?" Molly asked, looking over Ginny's shoulder.

"Almost," Ginevra replied with a forced smile.

"Don't forget to boil them," Molly said primly, returning to garnishing the meat.

"Yes Mother," Ginevra said, chopping the end off the carrot with more force than neccessary.

"I've finished setting the table, Molly. Is there anything else I can do?" Hermione asked brightly.

"Thank you, dear. It's all right. You go relax, I'm sure you're tired," Molly said with a smile.

_From doing _**what**_?!_ Ginevra's mind screamed. _She's been lazing about reading Shakespeare the entire day - not even researching about the next Horcrux for the gods' sakes!_

Ginevra clenched her jaw and bit her cheek, drawing blood. She ignored the pain and continued with her chores.

"When you're done with those, would you start on the potatoes?" Molly asked her.

"Yes Mother," Ginevra replied.

She finished the carrots then began on the potatoes.

She'd only argued about the chores once, and when Molly had sent her to her room without any dinner, Ginevra learnt not to do so again. '_If you don't prepare your own food, then you won't appreciate it when you eat it_', was one of Molly's most over-used phrases when it came to household chores.

Fred came into the kitchen, George behind him. As Fred distracted and annoyed Molly about dinner, Ginevra helped George collect various pieces of food for Blaise and Draco. It wouldn't be much, but it would be enough for them to survive on until Ginevra could get to them later that night.

"Jolly good work, Mother! Can't wait to see what you're doing for dessert!" George said with a laugh as he left the kitchen, Fred running in front of him so that Molly wouldn't notice the food in his hands.

"I swear those two will be the death of me some day," Molly muttered with a sigh.

Ginevra didn't reply, too busy looking out at the shed. Fred and George looked around carefully, then slipped inside when they were sure that no one was watching. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Molly, thinking that Ginny was sighing to agree with her, continued on with her rant about the twins and their 'bad' behaviour.

...

Hermione watched as Ron and Harry played a game of chess. As usual, the chess pieces yelled at them, and Harry lost by a long shot. Although he insisted that he was getting better at the game, Hermione secretly thought that Harry was getting worse with each game he played.

They started up another game, and feeling bored, Hermione went to find Ginny. Seeing her in the kitchen, she went over and gave her a smile.

"Did you want to do anything today, Ginny?" Hermione asked her.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm kind of tired from the Quidditch game yesterday. You should have watched. It was fun," Ginny said with a smile.

"You know how I feel about that _game_," Hermione said, her distaste evident in her voice.

"Sorry," Ginny murmured, cutting up another sandwich.

"Have you finished making lunch yet?" Molly asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Almost done. I just need to finish cutting up the sandwiches," Ginny replied.

"You'd better hurry before the boys start whining. Stop harrassing Hermione, the poor girl's probably sick and tired of your chatter," Molly said, guiding Hermione out of the kitchen.

Ginevra stared after them, angry that Hermione didn't say anything against Molly's statement. She just nodded and started to talk to Molly about knitting. _**Knitting**__, for the gods' sakes!_

A growl came from deep in her throat and Ginevra turned back to the sandwiches, cutting them up fiercely. She wrapped up four and put them in her pocket to give to Blaise and Draco.

After setting the table and serving lunch, Ginevra pretended to be stressed that she hadn't made any lemonade, and asked Fred and George to help her. They followed her into the kitchen and began cutting up lemons, Ginevra yelping after a moment.

Molly came in, a scowl on her face, until she saw that Ginny was holding her eye and looked to be in pain.

"What happened?" she asked quickly, glaring at the twins.

"Lemon juice got into my eye. I'll go wash it out the back. Sorry for interrupting your lunch, Mother," Ginevra replied, hurrying out the back before Molly could say anything.

She waited until she saw Fred and George at the window to go down to the shed, not wanting to be caught.

Ginevra knocked tentatively, remembering quite clearly what had happened the night before. Blaise and Draco had been wrapped up in each other and she'd gone in without a thought. She'd been embarrassed for her own stupidity, rather than their actions.

"Come in," Blaise called softly, having seen her from the window.

She hurried inside and took the sandwiches out of her pocket, giving them to her.

"Sorry about last night. I should have thought to knock," she murmured, still feeling embarrassed.

Draco chuckled softly, smirking at her in amusement.

"Don't worry about it, Ginevra," he said softly.

"Thanks for the sandwiches," Blaise added, biting into his.

He gave one to Draco, who thanked him quietly, then thanked Ginevra.

She blushed at their attention and praise, then berated herself for thinking about them like **that** when they were with each other.

Hurrying out of the shed, Ginevra cursed her luck. She'd just had to go and fall for _both_ of them. They were with each other, and they'd never think of her like that, no matter if she had helped them or not!

Muttering to herself, she splashed her face with water from the tank and not just to keep up the pretense of lemon juice in her eye. She went into the kitchen, where Fred and George were just finishing cutting up the lemons. Ginevra put water in a jug, then ice and sugar, before adding the lemons. The twins looked at her in concern, but didn't say anything, simply following her back into the dining room.

Molly watched Ginny throughout lunch, and despite her praise for the food, Ginny still seemed to be in a sour mood. Putting it to the lemon incident, Molly scolded Fred and George after lunch had finished, making them do the dishes manually as punishment.

...

Draco looked at Blaise, concern on his face. "I think we've scarred Ginevra for life," he muttered.

"She's fine about us being together. At least, she was _before_," Blaise murmured, shaking his head.

"You told her about us?" Draco asked, sounding surprised.

"She guessed," Blaise replied with a grin.

"Then why would she be like acting the way she was?" Draco asked.

"No idea," Blaise said, shrugging in confusion.

"My being here is probably putting pressure on her," Draco murmured.

"Don't be like that, Draco," Blaise said with a half-hearted glare. "Don't close up like you did before."

Draco just looked out of the window and didn't reply.

...

Checking that Hermione was truly asleep, Ginevra climbed out of her window and down the pipe on the side. She hurried down to the shed and knocked softly on the door, walking in after a moment.

She saw Blaise sleeping on the bed and frowned, not seeing Draco anywhere. Going over to Blaise, Ginevra saw that he had been put under a Full Body Bind and quickly used her wand to thaw him out. Neither spell were on the Ministry's watch list, so thankfully, no owls would be sent.

"What happened? Where is he?" Ginevra hissed.

"He took my wand after you brought dinner," Blaise muttered. "He closed himself off, just like before! I don't know where he is yet," he said, shaking his head.

"_Yet_?" Ginevra queried, her eyebrow raised.

"I got suspicious after lunch and put a small tracking spell on him when he was asleep. It won't work until I can activate it," Blaise replied. "I can't believe he did this to me again!"

"Do you know why he did it?" Ginevra asked, handing him her wand.

"He was worried about you. He kept saying that by being here he was putting you in danger, and putting pressure on you and your family," he said.

Ginevra stared for a moment, then started muttering under her breath.

"When I find him I'm going to kill him for putting himself in danger like this!" she muttered. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back," Ginevra said forcefully, practically running up to the Burrow.

She climbed up the pipe, stopping at Fred and George's window. She knocked softly, waking them up. They hurried over and looked at her. Seeing her pale and worried face, then grabbed their robes and wands, following her out of the window without hesitation.

"Do you know where he's gone?" Fred and George asked quietly, going into the shed.

"He's at Malfoy Manor," Blaise replied, looking at the map the tracking spell had provided.

"Good, let's get going then," Fred and George said.

They linked arms with Blaise and Ginevra, Apparating with a loud bang.

...

_End of the fourth chapter_

...


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter...

...

_Chapter Five_

...

Narcissa opened the door, her wand in her hand. She paled when she saw Draco there, her wand clattering to the floor. She caught him with some difficulty as he fainted on the porch, white as a ghost. Taking up her wand again, Narcissa quickly looked outside to see if anyone else was out there, then levitated her son up to his room. She checked him over for injuries, and apart from the scabby wounds on his chest, she was relieved to find that he was fine.

A loud bang outside had Narcissa running downstairs. Fearing that the Dark Lord had followed Draco, Narcissa only held her wand, not drawing it. He wouldn't excuse a wand at his throat, no matter the time of night. She opened the door, her eyes lowered halfway, expecting to find He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at her door. Instead, she saw four teenagers - Blaise Zabini and three Weasley's.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed at them angrily. "No Weasley will ever come into my house!" Narcissa said, blocking the doorway when they stepped forward.

"Narcissa," Blaise said, trying to calm her down, but she silenced him with a withering look.

"How **dare** you bring this filth to my house!" she hissed, going to slap him.

Ginevra didn't stop to think, she just stood in front of Blaise and took the hit from Narcissa. No matter who Narcissa was in the wizarding society, Ginevra did not want Blaise in trouble for helping them.

"Ginevra!" Blaise said in shock, holding her upright when she swayed slightly.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, holding her brothers back.

"Touch her again and your life won't be worth living," Fred and George hissed, their eyes glowing with hate.

Narcissa glared at them, but was shocked at how afraid she felt at their words alone. _Not even the Dark Lord could threaten and scare her like that, without an action to accompany it_.

"Ginevra found Draco and helped him," Blaise said quietly, not knowing who was around. "They've been hiding him for the last two months."

The two women looked at each other, Ginevra's look defiant and Narcissa's shocked. Narcissa saw the truth in Ginevra's eyes, then nodded briefly. She let down a few wards, then led them into the house without another word.

"Where is he?" Ginevra asked. "Is he all right?"

"**_My son_** is fine," Narcissa said, her voice prim. "He's in his room resting," she added when the twins glared at her.

"May we go to see him?" Ginevra asked, moving Fred and George behind her with a single touch.

"We just want to make sure," Blaise added, seeing Narcissa's reluctance.

"I will come with you," Narcissa said sternly, then led them up the marble staircase to Draco's lavish room.

Ginevra tried not to get distracted by their surroundings, but she was amazed at the various artworks, tapestries and portraits hanging on the walls. Art pieces were strewn about on shelves, bookcases, windowsills. Even various items of furniture they passed seemed to be antique works of art, rather than a sitting chair, or a candle holder.

Narcissa opened two large wooden doors, leading them into the room.

Ginevra and Blaise saw Draco, running over to him immediately. They took his hands in their own and looked at him, stroking his hair and face tenderly.

"Leave them for a minute," Fred and George said to Narcissa quietly.

She watched Ginevra and Blaise's expressions, amazed at their open affection towards her son. Even Draco seemed more relaxed now that they were around, no matter the fact that he was unconscious. It was as if they knew each other, even without having to see one another. Narcissa took a deep breath, then nodded at the twins' suggestion, following them out of the room. Neither Blaise nor Ginevra noticed when the large doors shut.

"Draco, why did you leave?" Ginevra murmured, brushing his hair out of his face.

Blaise started to take Draco's robes off, then undid his shirt to check his scars. Their breath caught at the sight of his bare and well toned chest, Ginevra and Blaise smirking at each other when they heard the other's gasp.

"I should be jealous, shouldn't I?" Blaise murmured, watching as she ran her hand along Draco's chest.

"You've _kissed_ him and _you're_ jealous of _me_?" Ginevra replied, taking Blaise's hand in her own.

"Do you really think the three of us could be together?" he asked, kissing her hand.

"Yes," Ginevra murmured, her eyes closing at the feel of his lips on her skin.

"Good," Blaise said with a smirk. "We should try to wake Draco up so we can tell him," he added, a chuckle escaping from his throat.

"I think he's awake," Ginevra replied, seeing Draco's silver eyes watching both of them, amusement filling them when both Ginevra and Blaise blushed at being caught.

"Don't mind me," he whispered, coughing to one side.

Blaise immediately let go of Ginevra's hand, patting Draco on the back. Ginevra hurried to get him a glass of water. Draco drank eagerly, coughing once more before turning to look at them.

"You mean it?" he asked.

"Of course," Ginevra said, smiling at him. "You have to get better before we can do anything though," she added.

Blaise smirked, knowing how determined Draco would be to get well again. He kissed Ginevra's neck, watching Draco the entire time.

"_We_, on the other hand, are perfectly fine. And I know where the guest room is," he murmured to Ginevra.

Her face flushed at the thought and she groaned when he bit at her neck.

Draco grabbed their wrists forcefully, a glare on his face.

"You're not doing anything without me," he muttered, pulling Ginevra to him.

In any other circumstance, Ginevra would have resented being used to get others jealous, but she was definitely not going to complain about _this_! She leaned into Draco's kiss eagerly, licking his lips.

Draco's grip tightened on Blaise's wrist, and although he couldn't see what they were doing, Blaise guessed that Ginevra was showing Draco just what he would be missing out on until he got better. The thought of that, and not to mention the fact that her arse was pressing into him, affected Blaise more than it should have and he held Ginevra's hips firmly against his.

Ginevra gasped and Draco used the opportunity to his advantage, licking her tongue. Trying to steady herself, Ginevra moved her hands onto the bed, her eyes widening when she felt something that **definitely** wasn't supposed to be _that_ big.

Draco's eyes had widened too, lust filling them when her hand didn't move. The pressure was delightful and he groaned at the feelings it had created within him.

Hearing the doors opening, they sprung apart quickly, their faces red and their chests heaving.

"You three better get under control," Fred hissed at them from the door. "Narcissa's coming back up and I don't know how long George can hold her off," he said, hurrying back to his twin.

In less than a minute, Narcissa opened the doors and looked in to see Draco sitting up, talking with Ginevra and Blaise. His face was a shade healthier than it had been when he'd arrived earlier, but she could see a red tinge to his cheeks. Worried that he had a fever, Narcissa was beside him in an instant, feeling his forehead tentatively.

"You're burning up. I'll go get an anti-fever potion for you," she said.

"It's all right, Mother," Draco said quickly. "If you don't mind, I'd rather sweat it out. It's hot enough in this bed anyway. And you don't want to have to explain the lack of potion when He arrives," he added, convincing her easily.

"That is a valid point, dear. Very well then. You rest tonight, and tomorrow, if you're feeling better, I'll get you somewhere safe; somewhere where _He_ can't find you," Narcissa said with a hiss.

"Thank you, Mother," Draco said.

Narcissa nodded, smiling at him briefly.

"You should have known that I would not let him harm you, Draco," she murmured, patting his arm tenderly.

"He didn't threaten my life, Mother," Draco replied quietly.

Ginevra and Blaise got up to leave, feeling awkward, but Draco grabbed their wrists again, and pleaded with them to stay in a single look. They sat next to him again, holding his hands. Fred and George stayed too, watching carefully for anything amiss or out of the ordinary.

Narcissa just looked at their hands for a moment, then returned her attention to her son.

"He threatened to kill you if I didn't do what he wanted," Draco said. "You can't hide me away and not expect Him to get revenge," he said. "You have to come with me, or I'll leave so you don't know where I've gone," he said in determination.

Narcissa's eyes filled with tears. She knew that the latter was their only option. She could not leave. Not only would He get suspicious, but He would probably hurt Lucius to lure them out. Narcissa would not let her beloved husband go through any more pain. She shook her head and turned away from Draco, making one of the hardest decisions of her life.

"I will be sleeping in tomorrow morning. The house elves will erase my memory so that not even He can learn of this, and you will go far away where you will be safe," Narcissa said, kissing his cheek. "Always remember that I love you, Draco," she murmured, tears falling from her eyes.

She stood and left the room before she could disgrace herself any further in front of her guests.

"Merte!" Draco called.

A house-elf stepped out from the shadows silently, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"You heard what Mother just instructed?" he asked, his voice cold.

"We will look after Ma'am as she instructed. He will never know," Merte said solemnly, spitting out the word.

"Good. Go tell the others. Bring clothes for Ginevra and Blaise. And make sure not to disturb us for the rest of the night, unless it is urgent," Draco added.

Merte nodded and disappeared without a word. He returned in a moment, clothes for Ginevra and Blaise bundled in his arms. He gave them all a nod, then disappeared once more.

"We'll be in the next room keeping watch. Try not to be too loud," Fred and George muttered, going into the adjoining room with a cheery wave.

Ginevra sniggered softly, then looked at Draco and Blaise, suddenly feeling shy. They chuckled at her expression, Draco holding a hand out for her. She took it, looking into his eyes, and allowed him to tug her over to his side. Draco kissed her and she felt her stomach tighten when Blaise began to undo her shirt, his cool fingers caressing her breasts. She moaned deep in her throat when he squeezed, making Draco pull away, breathing heavily.

"I think we might have to wait, as you said," he rasped.

Draco cursed the fact that his body was too weak to continue, but Ginevra and Blaise simply nodded, pulling away. They each kissed him slowly, filling him with more pleasure than should be legal, then changed into the clothes that Merte had returned with.

Draco and Blaise stared at the pale flesh Ginevra revealed to them. She teased them with a smirk, then hurried to get changed when a hungry look came over their faces.

Blaise changed quickly, but Ginevra and Draco still had their share of skin to drool over. Ginevra begged to touch his chest, and remembering the way she had touched Draco earlier, who was Blaise to refuse her?

Draco could only stare as Ginevra ran her hands along Blaise's chest. When had a simple action become so erotic? he thought briefly, watching as her hands caressed his abdomen lightly. Blaise's stomach clenched with lust and again, Draco cursed the fact that he was so weak.

"Your turn, Draco," Blaise murmured, kissing Draco softly, smirking as he tried to protest.

"I'm scarred," he said, looking away from them.

"We know. We saw them before they were like this," Ginevra reminded him softly. "We still fell in love with you, and we always will love you, no matter what you look like on the outside," she murmured, kissing his neck and pressing her body against his.

Draco groaned and lifted his hips slightly before falling back, the actions too much for his weary body. Blaise helped him undress, Ginevra kissing various parts of his body to reassure him that they loved him. When her lips arrived at the scars she had helped heal, Ginevra didn't hesitate, kissing them too. Blaise kissed Draco at the same time, and tears fell from Draco's eyes at the love they felt for him.

They finished dressing and got under the blankets, Ginevra and Blaise on either side of Draco's body. Draco was pressed into Ginevra's back, Blaise pressing against his back. They both wrapped their arms around Ginevra, Blaise fondling her breast, as Draco licked and kissed her neck. The feelings they were causing became too much for her, so Ginevra turned and faced Draco, murmuring about how mean they were to tease her like that. They only chuckled and whispered goodnight to her.

...

Fred and George tentatively looked into the room. Finding the three of them asleep, they breathed a sigh of relief, grateful they'd been right about how weak Draco really was after his journey to the Manor.

"We have to go with them," George murmured to Fred solemnly, closing the door.

"Of course. Couldn't let them get into trouble without us," Fred said with a grin.

George shook his head and smiled slightly.

"We'll need to get supplies though," Fred added, serious now.

George nodded in agreement.

"Should the shop close? Or do you think we could convince Oliver and Katie to take over for a while?" he asked.

"Say we're going on holiday," Fred agreed.

"So soon after those three have disappeared?" George pointed out.

"We're going to look for Ginevra. No one will know that they've all disappeared together," Fred countered.

"Draco's presumed dead, Blaise is staying with a friend, Ginevra's run off to find Potter. Could work," George murmured with a nod.

"Have to make sure that the Trio can get out of the house before Ginevra's disappearance is noticed," Fred replied.

"False Horcrux?" George suggested.

"Where? And how?"

"R.A.B," he replied.

"We don't know who that is," Fred said.

"They don't know that we don't know. We can lead them to someone who does," George murmured.

"Snape?" Fred suggested.

"Draco would have to tell us. If he knows."

There was a knock at their door, and they opened it to find Ginevra and Blaise standing there, supporting Draco between them.

"Let us in," Ginevra said softly.

Fred and George stepped aside, noticing the Extendable Ear that was clutched in Ginevra's hand.

"We gather it was this that woke you three up?" they asked, plucking the Ear out of her hand.

Draco sat on the bed, Blaise sitting beside him. Ginevra flushed guiltily at her brothers' words, but looked at them with determination.

"I'm not going to apologise for using it. Draco wants to say something to you," she said, going over and sitting beside him.

"I know where Severus is," he murmured quietly. "If you really believe this will work, we need to plan it," Draco said looking at them with dark eyes.

"Send the anonymous note to Potter by a normal post owl. Disguise will be easy so they won't know who really sent it," Fred said.

"You three leave just after breakfast. Gives your mother enough time to sleep in, you to get packed, and us to get supplies," George added.

Fred and George were ready to defend that they were going with them, but neither Ginevra, Draco nor Blaise protested, simply nodding gratefully.

"We'll need to change our hair colour to get around safely during the day. Red hair really isn't good to have when you're trying to hide," George muttered, obviously from experience.

"Facial disguises too. The Malfoy face is too easy to recognise," Fred added, looking at Draco's prominent features.

"We still have to figure out where to go," Ginevra pointed out.

"Percy's got a place in London," Fred and George said, having already thought of it.

"What about Percy?" Ginevra asked.

"He's currently living in his office at the Ministry," George replied, the look in his eyes betraying the fact that he was close to laughter.

"Or with Rufus Scrimgeour," Fred sniggered. "He's got a new place now that he's been promoted, and couldn't be bothered to get another tenant for the old one," he said, serious once more.

Blaise had blanched at Fred's first comment, and was obviously having trouble removing the image of Percy involved with someone from his mind.

"They put it up for lease and we now own it. We were going to give it to Ginevra so she could get out of the house and away from Mother," George said.

"You were?" Ginevra asked, surprised.

"Surely you didn't want to stay there cooking and cleaning for Mother all day?" Fred and George asked, grinning.

"Not really," Ginevra muttered.

"Good. Granger's going to recognise all of our writing," George said to Fred.

"Ginevra was on the DA, and Harry has access to everyone's school files according to McGonagall," Fred replied with a nod.

"Merte can write," Draco said.

At his name, the house elf stepped out of the shadows, a quill and parchment in his large hands.

"I will write exactly what Master Draco wants," Merte said, placing the parchment on the floor and bending over it to start writing.

"Potter," Draco began.

"He'll know it's you. Or a Slytherin. No one calls him Potter except for you lot," Fred and George interrupted quickly.

"Fine, Harry then," Draco grounded the name out in disgust.

They listened as he dictated the letter, interrupting to change something that would give away the fact that it was from him. Merte was patient and his tongue poked out when he gripped the quill to write.

After about half an hour, the letter was finally completed. Merte put a spell on it to ensure that their identities would not be found out, then gave it to Fred, who was going to post it that morning.

"Thank you, Merte," Ginevra said quietly.

Merte nodded, bowed then disappeared into the shadows again. Ginevra yawned, Blaise picking her up and carrying her into the adjoining room, laying her in the bed.

"Better pick Draco up too," she murmured sleepily.

Blaise just kissed her forehead, then went back into the twins' room. Draco was asleep on the bed, exhaustion finally taking him over. Blaise nodded to Fred and George, then carried Draco into the adjoining room, lying him next to Ginevra. She wrapped her arm around Draco's body, sleep taking her too. As they slept, Blaise watched over them silently. It was only at Fred and George's quiet insistence that Blaise lay down and slept too.

...

End of the fifth chapter

...


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I don't own Harry Potter!

(a/n: _Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate it!_

_Read on, oh faithful ones!_)

...

Chapter Six

...

Harry cursed as the familiar tapping of an owl woke him up earlier than he would have liked. He looked over to Ron, who was still snoring, then grumbled and hurried over to the window. Opening it, he took the letter from the owl's talons, then ignored it as it flew away. He knew that it would be earlier than four in the morning, since he couldn't hear Molly in the kitchen below.

Harry read the letter once, then read it two more times before the words sank in properly. He stared at the letter, then grabbed his wand to check for any spells. Satisfied, he went over to Ron, shaking him softly. As Ron began to grumble, Harry put a hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Quiet, mate. We've got to get out of here. I know where Snape is," Harry said, anger shredding any tiredness immediately.

Ron sat up in shock, then read the offered letter a few times. He frowned at the parchment, then looked to Harry, who was finishing getting changed.

"You sure about this, mate?" he asked.

Harry tied his shoelaces, then nodded in determination.

"We have to get Hermione up without waking up Ginny," he said softly, grabbing his bag and wand.

"You get Hermione while I get changed. We have to leave before Mum wakes up," Ron muttered, remembering how clingy Molly had been the last time they'd left.

Harry hurried to Ginny's room. Afraid of waking her up, he didn't even dare to glance in her direction. Instead, he tiptoed over to Hermione's bed and shook her awake as he had Ron, his hand over her mouth.

"Time to go," he said quietly.

Hermione just nodded, then got out of bed, fully dressed.

"I've been expecting to leave for some time now," she said primly at his look.

"Good, come on," Harry muttered.

They both left the room without looking to Ginny's bed once. If they had looked, they would have seen the bright red hair of one of Ginny's old dolls poking out from underneath the quilt, instead of the tell-tale Weasley hair.

The three friends wrote a note to Molly, then Apparated away, grateful that Hermione and Ron were now over the legal age.

Fred and George hurried downstairs, then put Ginevra's note next to the Trio's before going back upstairs to sleep.

...

Molly's scream woke Arthur and the twins up. Despite their grogginess, Fred and George grinned at each other, then grabbed their clothes and changed as they went downstairs, their grins replaced with tired frowns in an instant.

"What's wrong, Mollywobbles?" Arthur asked blearily, too tired to notice that his sons were standing behind him.

On hearing the term of affection, Fred and George inwardly grimaced and wished they could Obliviate themselves.

"They're gone. They left this morning. They got a note about the whereabouts of Snape and just left! They didn't even say goodbye," Molly said, her face pale and sad.

Fred and George glanced to where they'd put Ginevra's note and saw that it was open, meaning that Molly knew that Ginevra was gone too. They bit their tongues in an effort not to scream at their mother.

"Boys, go get Ginny would you?" Arthur said, awake and alert now.

Fred and George nodded, then hurried upstairs to Ginevra's room, muttering curses to each other about Molly's behaviour. Another scream had them going back downstairs just as quickly.

"She's not up there," they said, then went silent as Arthur shook his head.

"Ginny's gone too," Molly murmured, fanning herself.

The twins glanced at each other, barely hiding their anger at Molly's attention-seeking behaviour.

"I can't believe that she would just leave like this! It's just like her to leave after Harry!" Molly said, her voice filled with anger.

"We'll go find her!" Fred and George volunteered before they would do something rash, like kill their mother.

"No, boys. You will stay here and watch over your mother. I have to get ready for work, all right love?" Arthur asked, looking at her.

Molly nodded. Fred and George Apparated with a loud bang, making their parents jump.

"Oh, dear. I should probably try to find out where they've gone," Arthur said, sighing.

"They can look after themselves, Arthur," Molly said, waving off his concern.

Arthur frowned, but didn't disagree with his wife. Instead, he just helped her to the lounge room and listened to her talk about how Ron, Harry and Hermione hadn't said goodbye, and why on earth they hadn't let her pack food for them.

...

Fred and George Apparated to their shop. When they'd arrived properly, they sighed and got to work. While Fred Apparated in one direction, George started Apparating in another direction. They both knew that doing that it would confuse any authorities that may look for them, since their magical signatures were identical.

Finally, they finished and Apparated to London. From the busy Muggle centre they then walked to the apartment, making sure not to do any magic, no matter how tempting it was to make everyone move out of their way with a single word.

Ginevra opened the door for them, ushering them inside.

"How did it go? Did she say anything about me leaving?" she asked as they sat down on the worn couch.

"Nothing worth mentioniong," Fred replied, George shrugging.

"She was more worried about the fact that the Trio had left without saying goodbye and without letting her give food to them," George added, Fred nodding now.

"Oh," Ginevra muttered, slightly hurt that her mother didn't care about her.

"Never mind the old bag, the main thing is you got away without raising any suspicions," Fred and George said, hugging their sister comfortingly.

Ginevra took a deep breath, reminded herself that she hadn't expected Molly to worry about her, then nodded in agreement.

Blaise and Draco walked into the lounge room, talking quietly to each other. They saw Fred and George hugging Ginevra and stopped talking, hurrying over.

"What's wrong?" they asked, looking at Ginevra.

When Ginevra stayed silent, not trusting herself to talk without showing her hurt or emotion, Fred and George quickly and quietly explained what had happened with Molly.

"Not even my mother's that cold and uncaring," Blaise muttered.

"Don't worry about Molly, Ginevra. We'll get her back for it," Fred and George said, an evil gleam in their eyes.

"You two look after Ginevra," Fred said seriously, glaring at Blaise and Draco.

"Or we will cause you a lot of pain," George added, his own glare evident.

"Of course," Blaise and Draco said.

"Good," Fred and George said, then hugged Ginevra once more before leaving through the front door.

Blaise and Draco sat on either side of Ginevra for a moment, just waiting for her to talk.

"I always told myself that she loved me, and for a few moments, I could believe that she did, but this?" she said, a small sob escaping her throat.

Suddenly, the sobs stopped and Ginevra sat up straight, her eyes cold.

"Well, screw her then. Come on, I want to go out," Ginevra said, getting up and pulling Draco and Blaise to their feet.

As she hurried to get into her Muggle clothing, Draco and Blaise shared a worried look.

They stayed out for most of the night, Draco and Blaise's gazes never leaving Ginevra once. Her face had a cold edge that had never been there before, and they were worried about her. She wasn't acting like her usual self, five full glasses of straight scotch proved that.

When Ginevra finally had enough of dancing and drinking, Draco and Blaise helped her home, still silent. They dressed her in her pyjamas, even as she murmured to them incoherantly, then put her to bed. As they went to leave, Ginevra called out their names, begging them to stay with her. Draco and Blaise did so without hesitation. They both held her as she cried herself to sleep.

...

Ginevra woke up the next morning with the largest headache she'd ever had. Her eyes were sensitive, as it seemed, was her hearing. Every movement she made filled her body with pain and she didn't want to get out of bed. Ginevra untangled herself from Draco and Blaise quietly, more for her benefit than theirs, and tried to remember what had happened the night before.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, an onslaught of memories hit her. She'd got completely drunk - that explained the headache - then she had proceeded to completely embarrass herself in that Muggle nightclub, only to be carried home. Ginevra vaguely remembered begging Draco and Blaise to stay with her, and groaned, then held her head as the sound assaulted her ears.

"Good morning," Blaise said quietly, smirking down at her. He looked at her, his expression turning serious. "I hope you've gotten that out of your system now, love. I don't want to see you so upset ever again," he murmured, kissing her head softly before heading to the kitchen.

"And I just so happen to agree with him. You should never be that sad, love," Draco added from behind her. He didn't move from where he was lying in the bed, and his eyes stayed shut against the bright light.

Ginevra moved back down the bed to lie next to him.

"Sorry about last night. I shouldn't have made you go out while you were still sick," she murmured. "Not to mention my embarrassing display at that club. I wouldn't be surprised if they never let us in again," Ginevra said, wincing when her own soft laughter hurt her ears.

"Well, that much is true. They kicked us out last night and we're not allowed back in for three weeks, minimum," Blaise said, returning back to the bed. "The kettle's on so you can have a coffee, all right?" he said, kissing Ginevra's head lightly.

"Sorry," she mumbled, rolling over so her face was on the pillow. "Shouldn't have had so much to drink," she mumbled, her words muffled.

"Never mind it now, Ginevra. It's over and done with, so you can move on, right?" Draco asked, looking at her.

Ginevra thought for a moment. She still felt emotional about her Mother's lack of worry and emotion towards her, but it was more annoyance and anger rather than upset or sadness at the loss. Ginevra nodded, then winced as the sunlight hit her eyes.

"Come on then, I think a shower is in order for both of you," Blaise said, getting off the bed and offering his hands to them.

"I doubt there's enough hot water in this flimsy Muggle system for all of us to have separate showers," Draco muttered as he got up.

"Then we'll have to shower together," Ginevra said, laughing quietly at their looks.

"Never mind the hot water, I'm going to need a cold shower now," Blaise muttered.

Ginevra laughed again, then led them to the small bathroom.

Despite their feelings, nothing other than a lot of snogging, and prolonged washing occured in the shower that day. They also found out that there was enough hot water for a shower each.

...

"Have you found them? I can't bear another moment without knowing where my babies are," Molly said with a dramatic sniff.

Fred and George took deep breaths, and counted to ten before replying.

"Harry and Hermione are not your 'babies', Mother. We still can't find them," Fred and George added before Molly could start with her usual argument of 'they may as well be my children', and made them do something they'd get Azkaban for.

"We think they've made themselves Unplottable," George said.

"Hermione's doing, probably," Fred added, both of them nodding.

"Is that possible?" Molly asked, looking to Arthur's head in the fireplace.

"Only if someone is extremely advanced..." Arthur began, ready to go into a detailed explanation, then trailed off at Molly's withering look. "Yes, it's possible."

Molly wailed miserably, making all three men wince at the sound.

"I'll come home, shall I?" Arthur said, sighing heavily.

Fred and George nodded, then Apparated with a loud bang, which only set Molly's noise off further.

...

Arriving in their shop, the twins looked at each other, sighing as heavily as Arthur had done.

"They're not going to be able to hide for long," George murmured.

"Arthur will get annoyed with Molly enough to go looking for Ginevra," Fred said.

"Sooner rather than later," George agreed.

"He can't handle Molly while there's no one else around for her to stress about," Fred muttered.

"And since the Trio's gone off the chart," George continued.

"Ginevra would have been the only one left," Fred finished.

"We better go get them moved," George said to Fred, who nodded.

They Apparated to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. While they were still out of Muggle's awareness, they changed their clothes, putting on hats so their hair wouldn't be so easily recognised. When ready, Fred and George left the bar without anyone noticing them, wizard or Muggle alike.

...

"Pizza delivery; open up!"

"Is that really necessary, boys? It's been over a month," Ginevra muttered, opening the door for the twins.

"It's necessary now more than ever," Fred and George replied, hugging her.

"I don't get it! What the heck is a tax number anyway? Why can't they just hire me without one?" Blaise muttered as he flopped onto the couch.

"Blaise, it's been three days already. Can't you just get over it?" Draco said with a sigh, sitting next to him.

"I thought we told you not to go job hunting," Fred said sternly, George glaring at him.

"I can't just hide here! I've got to do something to get my mind off things," Blaise replied angrily, standing.

"Okay, that's enough all of you!" Ginevra mediated, glaring at them all. "We all thought it best that we try to get some work so that we can pay the bills ourselves. People will notice that you're paying bills for a flat you're not living in," Ginevra said, calming the twins. "You shouldn't have applied for the job without researching what Muggles need in order for you to get accepted," she added, looking at Blaise.

Blaise just muttered something about paranoid Muggles, then sank back down onto the couch.

"Now, why did you come here? It's not our Friday appointment, so it must be important," Ginevra said, looking to Fred and George again, who were mimicking her words.

Draco chuckled at them, Blaise joining in when Ginevra hit them both with a cushion.

"That's not very nice, dearest sister of ours!" Fred and George said, feigning offence.

"Sit down and tell us what's going on," Ginevra said, ignoring their theatrics.

"Fine," they muttered, sitting on the bar stools and looking at the three of them. "The Trio have gone Unplottable, so we can't find them until they've taken the spell off. We doubt they'll take it off while the war's still going," Fred and George added, getting nods. "Arthur's getting more stressed and fed up with Molly every day, and soon he's going to try and find you," they said, looking straight at Ginevra. "We've covered our bases well enough, but not so much that he won't be able to find you," they added. "If Arthur tries hard enough, then he will find you within a few days. You're going to have to move," Fred and George finished.

"Can't we just go Unplottable like the Trio did?" Ginevra asked.

"Not likely. The Ministry only let them do it because they're the Golden Trio. If another three people tried to do it, then the Ministry would be alerted, and they'd know it wasn't them. As it is, the Ministry are already holding meetings so that the Trio won't have to face any charges after the war... Providing they win, of course," Fred and George said.

"Do you have anywhere else we can go then?" Blaise asked.

"No. We didn't think the Trio would do this. Now that they have, we will have Arthur trying to find you, as well as Molly's hysterics about not knowing where the Golden fucking Trio are," Fred and George spat.

"The Fidelius Charm," Ginevra murmured, then looked to Fred and George, her eyes wide. "You hide us away and become our Secret-Keepers. No one could find us then!" she said.

"We can't do that. We're not powerful enough to do that spell!" they protested immediately. "Not to mention the fact that we don't have the time to research something as complex as that!"

"I do!" Ginevra said, standing up quickly. She started pacing, then continued to talk. "I can't get a job without the necessary paperwork for the Muggles to be satisfied, I can't leave here in case someone from the wizarding world spots us, and all I have is time on my hands. You get the books and I'll research it," she said, now pleading with the twins.

"What are we going to do, just sit here and twiddle our fucking thumbs?" Draco muttered with a glare.

"What he means is, we'll help you, Ginevra," Blaise said quickly, kicking Draco angrily.

"What you two will be doing is researching spells and fighting techniques I can use in the war. I'm not going to sit around here hiding while every other wizard and witch is fighting in the war!" Ginevra said, daring anyone to say anything against her.

"We'll go get the books," Fred and George muttered, then grimaced. "Gods', we sound like Granger," they said with shudders.

After Fred and George left, Draco turned to Ginevra.

"I'm not fighting in the war," he stated, anger in his eyes. "And I can not believe that you think I want you out there risking your life in this way!"

"In what way? I'm fighting for what I believe in," Ginevra said.

"You go out there, then that means that you're fighting for the Ministry! You're fighting for the people we're trying to hide from, for the gods' sakes!"

"It does not! Everyone knows that the Ministry is in league with Voldemort!"

"Then who are you fighting for?"

"I'm fighting for you and Blaise, you dolt!"

Ginevra and Draco were now yelling, but at her words, Draco stopped in shock. Blaise just watched them from down on the couch, slightly amused at the events. He almost felt like he should intervene, but decided against it at Ginevra's words.

"If I don't fight to keep who and what I love, then I may as well just hand myself over to the Ministry now," Ginevra said, her voice softer now.

Draco sighed heavily. "I still don't want you going out there," he muttered.

"I will fight, with or without your permission," Ginevra said curtly.

"I'm going out there with you," Blaise said so suddenly that they both turned to look at him.

"You are?" Ginevra and Draco asked in unison.

"Yes, I'm not going to wait here while you're out there fighting. I want to go out there and protect you," Blaise said, amused at their facial expressions.

"I don't need protecting," Ginevra said with a glare.

"I disagree," Blaise said, ignoring her glare. "You hit yourself on the table only this morning," he pointed out.

"That's because Draco sneaked up on me!" she said, then trailed off, knowing how lame it sounded. "Yes, I know people will sneak up on me if I fight," she muttered before either of them could say it. "I'll be training so I'm not scared!"

"I'll help you train, and I'll fight by your side," Blaise said, making sure there wasn't any room for argument.

They both looked to Draco, who was looking at something neither one could see. His eyes were dark, and his expression was blank, but they could see a hint of worry visible as they knew him so well.

"I'll fight," he said so quietly that they barely heard.

Without another word, Draco went off to their room, the door slamming behind him.

Knowing better than to disturb Draco when he was like this, Ginevra and Blaise just went to the bedroom and sat down, leaning against the door.

...

It was almost dark when Draco opened the bedroom door. His eyes adjusted to the semi-light that was filtering from the kitchen window, and he saw Ginevra and Blaise curled up at the foot of the door.

"Didn't your mother's ever teach you that lying on the cold ground is bad for you?" he murmured quietly, not expecting a response as they were both snoring lightly.

Sighing, he stepped over them quietly. He was still too weak to lift them, no matter how light Ginevra was. Blaise wasn't all that heavy either, but it would still be too much of an effort for him. The gods' forbid that he do anything strenous while he was still healing - Ginevra's words, not his.

Draco turned and looked at them, an odd expression on his face. He might not be able to lift them, but perhaps he could make them more comfortable. He could roll them over, then put blankets beneath them and over them so they would be warm and wouldn't be sore in the morning. Without magic, it would be hard work, and slow, but they had done so much more for him than they would ever know.

Grabbing a few blankets from the cupboard beside him, Draco rolled up his sleeves, then bent down to Ginevra and Blaise. Moving quietly and softly so as not to wake either of them, he moved Ginevra to one side, holding her there while he attempted to lay a blanket on the ground. It was messy, but it was good enough to provide some protection. Doing the same for Blaise, Draco caught his breath, then went back into the bedroom and got their pillows, gently putting them beneath their heads. Finally, he covered them with the quilt from the bed. Quite pleased with his handiwork, Draco looked down at Ginevra and Blaise once more, the odd expression on his face again.

...

An hour later, Draco was still looking at them sleeping between the doorway, while he was on the bed. It was really too large for him, after going from a single bed in Ginevra's shed, to sleeping with two other people. He couldn't remember why he had liked the space of a king-sized bed to himself only four months ago. It made him realise how lonely he could be.

With one more look of longing, Draco tried to get to sleep again, but failed. It didn't help that he only had the raggedy blanket that they'd covered the couch with either. Grumbling to himself, Draco got out of the bed and slid down in between his two lovers, falling asleep within minutes.

...

End of the sixth chapter!

...


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

(a/n: _thank you to everyone who reviewed!_

_Read on, oh faithful ones!_)

...

Chapter Seven

...

Ginevra woke up, her muscles sore, her stomach cramped, and her body cold. She blearily looked around, shivering slightly in the cold of the morning. Realising that she wasn't on the bed, Ginevra looked to Blaise, who was waking up too. They both looked at Draco, who was snoring gently between them, the entire blanket piled on his body.

Muttering quietly to each other, Ginevra grabbed the blanket from Draco, Blaise lifting him and carrying him to the bed.

Indicating for Blaise to lie down again, Ginevra spread the blanket over them with ease, then crawled beneath the covers and wrapped herself around Draco's body.

Draco didn't notice a thing.

...

"Draco, if you throw me to the ground one more time, I will be forced to stab you with my wand," Ginevra threatened, glaring at him.

"People are going to throw you down in the middle of a battle," Draco pointed out.

"I know that, but they're not going to pin me to the ground with their bodies," Ginevra muttered.

"Too right they're not," Draco growled.

"Then get off," Ginevra said, struggling beneath him.

"Keep that up and you're going to get him all excited," Blaise drawled from the doorway, smirking at them.

"It's not funny, Blaise! Help me," Ginevra pleaded, struggling again.

"I think in this instance I'd rather help Draco," Blaise replied, smirking as he pinned Ginevra's arms to the floor, kissing her eagerly.

Laughing, Ginevra continued to struggle, writhing beneath Draco.

"Gods', Ginevra. You had better stop that soon," he muttered, closing his eyes tightly.

Ginevra pulled away from Blaise's enticing mouth and whispered in his ear. Smirking and nodding, Blaise let go of her arms. She sat up and started kissing Draco eagerly. Blaise moved behind Draco and started rubbing against him. Ginevra copied his movement, both of them pushing up against Draco's body eagerly.

"Fuck me," Draco groaned, pulling Ginevra to him and kissing her eagerly, reaching behind his back to press Blaise harder against him.

"Gladly," Blaise murmured, moving around so he could take over Ginevra's lips.

"Not fair," Draco muttered, staring at his two lovers.

Ginevra grinned as she felt Draco twitch, then moved her hand onto his pants. Seeing what was making Draco groan so sexily, Blaise moved his hand around Draco's body to join Ginevra's. He smirked at her, snogging her once more.

Draco groaned their names, his eyes shutting as they continued to fondle him. Within minutes they had him begging for them. Smirking at each other, Blaise and Ginevra undressed each other, still fondling Draco.

His breath caught in his throat as two pairs of hands started to undress him quickly. They were far too good at this, he thought. But soon it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the fact that they weren't moving fast enough.

Draco managed to growl as much at them, and was only answered with Ginevra's soft laughter in his ear.

"Poor baby. Are we teasing you too much?" she murmured, running a hand along the side of his body.

Draco growled in his throat, and turned over. He pushed into Ginevra, smirking when she gasped his name.

"I think he's going to punish you now, love," Blaise murmured, kissing Draco's shoulder, then making his way down his spine before travelling back to his neck.

The actions caused Draco to jerk forward into Ginevra.

"I could live with that," Ginevra breathed, reaching up to pull Draco down to her.

As he watched his lovers kissing hungrily, Blaise went to grab the lubrication from their room. He sorely missed his wand at times like this. A simple spell would have him ready, and pushing into Draco already...

By the time he returned, Draco and Ginevra were slowly getting into a rhythm. Blaise could see that they were holding back, waiting for him. They were a beautiful sight to watch.

Groaning, Blaise kissed Ginevra, then Draco before returning to his position behind him. With a swift motion, he was inside Draco and pressed up against his back.

"Oh, fuck," Ginevra groaned, her eyes closing as her back arched at the feelings.

Draco couldn't agree more, and thrust further into her.

Blaise waited a moment to get used to their rhythm, then was joining in with just as much fervour as they were.

Their movements were abandoned as their emotions played havoc with their bodies. Hoarse shouts, groans and the sound of their bodies connecting filled the air.

Draco barely held out as Ginevra climaxed, calling their names. As he spilled into her, Draco slumped against her wearily, Blaise following soon after.

...

"We should do training like that more often," Draco muttered as they woke up.

Ginevra managed a giggle, then kissed them both and hurried to get changed.

"I agree with Draco on this one, love," Blaise murmured, kissing her neck.

Ginevra didn't want to admit that she agreed, so she stood up and left the room instead.

"Too far to walk after her," Draco muttered, then pulled Blaise over to him.

Blaise grinned and kissed Draco hard, pushing him back onto the mat.

"Hey! You're not supposed to do that without me!" Ginevra said, pouting as she returned to the room with food.

Draco sat up quickly, seeing the food. Blaise looked disappointed, but took a plate nonetheless. Laughing at his expression, Ginevra kissed Blaise lightly, then Draco, before taking her own plate of food.

"The twins should be coming over tomorrow. Do you need anything?" Ginevra asked as she started to eat.

"We need more soap," Draco muttered.

"Already? We just got some last week," Ginevra said.

"He cleans himself three times over," Blaise said with a smirk.

"What? Why?"

"Because Muggles are dirty," Draco muttered.

Ginevra burst out laughing.

"Sod off," he growled.

"Is poor Draco afraid of a few Muggles?" Ginevra taunted, laughing still.

"I'm not afraid of them! They're unkempt and filthy, in the most literal sense of the word," Draco muttered, shuddering.

Ginevra just laughed, shook her head and continued to eat her food.

...

George knocked on the door, waiting impatiently for his sister to open the door.

"Pizza delivery, open up!" he muttered when he heard muffled footsteps but not the door opening.

"The entire building probably thinks we're overweight hermits, or someth... " Ginevra began to mutter as she opened the door.

Fred and George didn't say anything about their sister's silence, didn't bother with niceties, and didn't even bother trying to smile at her. Ginevra wouldn't have seen anyway.

As soon as Ginevra had closed the door, Fred took the Invisibility Cloak off eagerly.

"It's damn stuffy under there," he muttered.

"How many books did you get?" Ginevra asked, staring at them.

Or rather, what she could see of them. Which was two pairs of hands, and legs. Their entire bodies and faces were covered by the stack of books they were both holding.

"We got you all the books you need," Fred said with a heave, putting the books on the table with a satisfying thud.

"As well as other books, just in case," George added, his thudding beside the ones Fred had put down.

"You don't think it's a little suspicious you two walking around Muggle London with all of these books? And without a Glamour to hide the types of books too?" Blaise asked, seeing all of the titles from the doorway.

"We borrowed an Invisibility Cloak from Lee Jordan," Fred said, his tone indignant.

"It covered both of us, as well as this load," George added.

"We only just took it off now," they said.

"How did you manage to see where you were going?" Draco drawled, an eyebrow raised as he looked at the amount of books.

"Or not tip over at the weight?" Blaise muttered, shaking his head.

"We had a lovely little homemade periscope. It pointed towards the ground," George said.

"Although that didn't stop us from bumping into a wall or two," Fred muttered.

"How did you get the Cloak off?" Ginevra asked warily.

"Teeth," Fred replied, grinning.

"The main thing is we got your books, isn't it?" George asked.

"Yes, it is. Thank you!" Ginevra said, grinning as she hugged her brothers.

"You're welcome. Money is also accepted as a form of gratitude," Fred said, chuckling.

"That's not funny," Ginevra growled, glaring at them.

"Don't look at me like that! I didn't say it," George protested.

"But you were thinking it, just as he was," she replied, folding her arms.

"Time to leave," Fred and George said quickly, looking to each other. "Bye! Enjoy the books," they said, grinning as they left the apartment very quickly.

...

"You have to find our babies, Arthur. They're out there all alone! What if they're lying in a gutter somewhere?! And what about our little Ginny? She's too innocent to be out there on her own!"

"I know, Mollywobbles," Arthur said with a sigh. "I'll go look for her now," he said, Apparating before Molly could start another tirade.

Fred and George looked at each other with concern.

"We have to get them out," George said softly.

"Now, or tomorrow at the very latest," Fred replied with a nod.

They Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron quietly, so as not to alert Molly, and quickly took off their robes to reveal the Muggle clothing underneath. They put their caps on, and pulled the hoods over their heads as the autumn breeze was getting colder now that winter was approaching.

Hurrying along the now familiar streets, Fred and George didn't say a word. They didn't dare to voice their fears: that Arthur had found them and done something drastic. Their father still never failed to see red where the Malfoy's were concerned.

"Pizza delivery, open up!" George called out as Fred banged on the door.

They really started to panic when no one answered the door.

"They might have gone out for lunch," Fred suggested.

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon, Forge," George said with a sigh.

"Right, where'd they put the spare key?" Fred muttered, standing on his toes to feel around the door frame.

"Nice thinking," George said when Fred returned to his proper height, key in hand.

"Thanks, I thought so too," Fred said, a chuckle bordering on hysterical escaping his throat.

They opened the door and went inside, shutting and locking it behind them. The first thing that hit them was how bare the apartment was. The table and chairs were no longer there. As they searched the rooms, the same state of emptiness confronted them.

"Arthur couldn't have done this," George said.

"Not in such a small time, at least," Fred said, shaking his head.

"Maybe they wrote a note?" George muttered, returning to the apartment entrance to look for something.

Suddenly, Ginevra appeared in the kitchen, and all of the furniture returned. George walked straight into the dining table, letting out a stream of curses.

"What the fuck just happened?" Fred cried, shocked.

"We figured it out," Ginevra replied, sounding pleased.

"Figured what out?" George asked between his teeth, rubbing his leg.

"The Fidelius Charm," Blaise drawled as he came into the dining area.

"Already?" Fred and George asked in surprise.

"Well, we weren't allowed to stop until we figured out how to do it," Draco said, giving Ginevra a half-hearted glare.

"I had a really bad feeling, like we were going to get discovered," she explained at her brothers' curious looks.

Fred and George glanced at each other. "We were just coming over to get you lot out. Arthur'll be on his way soon enough," they said.

"Lucky we did it then," Ginevra replied.

"Very," the twins murmured. "So who is your Secret Keeper?" they asked.

"I am," Ginevra said.

"You?" Fred and George asked in surprise. "And you let her do it?"

"It wasn't their fault, it sort of happened by accident," Ginevra said sheepishly. "I didn't know that I had to assign someone straight away, and it just defaulted to me."

"I don't like that, Forge," George murmured.

"Neither do I, Gred," Fred said, shaking his head.

Ginevra shook her head at them.

"All right, you two had better get going before Arthur shows up," she said.

"After all the things we've done, this is the thanks we get?!" they protested as Ginevra started to steer them towards the door.

"Thank you very much for everything you've done," Ginevra said seriously, kissing their cheeks quickly.

"You're welcome," Fred and George replied warily.

Their sister wanted them gone far too quickly... Then the door was shut on them, and no matter how many times they opened it, the apartment remained bare.

Fred and George hurried to leave the building before Arthur could arrive and ask them why they were there. That wouldn't do anyone any good...

...

"You lied to your brothers," Blaise murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I didn't want them to know who the real Secret Keeper was," Ginevra replied. "If something happens to them, and they're forced to tell someone who the Secret Keeper is, then I'd rather it was me than you two. I don't want anything to happen to either of you," she said, hugging them both tightly.

"I'm not happy with that arrangement, Ginevra. If someone does find out that you're the Secret Keeper, then what's to stop them from taking you? You'll probably be tortured and it will all be for nothing," Draco said, frowning deeply.

"Not for nothing," Ginevra replied, shaking her head quickly. "You two will be safe, and will be able to get out the moment I'm taken."

"That's why you lied to them, isn't it? To protect us," Blaise said, realisation dawning on him.

Ginevra just nodded, afraid that her voice would betray her if she tried to talk.

"Oh, love. You didn't have to do that... We are able to protect ourselves, you know," he murmured, pulling her into his arms.

"I know you can," she murmured, sighing quietly when Draco's arms wrapped around her too. "But I don't want you to have to do that."

"Just like we don't want you to have to fight in the war," Draco reminded her.

"Don't, Draco. I've already told you I'm fighting, so just leave it at that. Please," Ginevra added, sighing.

He muttered under his breath, but didn't say anything more.

...

End of the seventh chapter. Thanks for reading!

...


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter!

(a/n: _thanks to everyone for reviewing, I appreciate it!_

_Read on, oh faithful ones..._)

...

_Chapter Eight_

...

Fred and George looked at each other with shared worry when Arthur called out for them the moment he arrived home. He hadn't even said hello to Molly- something that never boded well for the twins.

"We're coming!" they called back, hurrying downstairs like they always did.

They acted as if they knew nothing about why Arthur had called them, absolutely nothing to do with their only sister, and pretended that it was just any other ordinary day.

"Hey Dad!" they said, hugging him between them.

"Hello boys," Arthur replied.

He didn't sound angry; in fact he sounded almost forlorn.

"What's wrong?" Fred and George asked, frowning.

"It's about your brother," Arthur began.

"What's wrong with my Ronnie-kins?" Molly wailed.

"Ron is fine, dear," Arthur said with an exasperated sigh.

Molly stopped wailing, and left to see the clock. "There's nothing wrong with them; what are you going on about, Arthur?!" Molly yelled from the next room.

"Boys, I know I shouldn't say this, but perhaps it would be best for you to give Molly a Calming Draught. Just so my head can rest," Arthur said in a hushed voice.

"Arthur? What did you mean is wrong?" Molly called, entering the room moments later.

"Mother, sit down. We're going to make you a nice warm cup of tea," Fred and George said, smiling brightly.

"Don't you boys do anything to my tea," Molly threatened, glaring at them.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Mother!" they answered, hurrying off to the kitchen quickly.

"What's going on, Arthur?" Molly asked the moment they were gone.

"I'm going to wait for the twins to return, dear. I don't have to repeat myself that way," he added, smiling gently.

Molly didn't look appeased, and had her arms folded and wasn't looking at Arthur by the time the twins returned with her cup of tea, steam rising from the cup.

"Thank you, boys," Molly said, sniffing the tea gingerly before drinking it.

"No trust in us," Fred muttered.

"None at all," George added, shaking his head.

A few seconds later, they both grinned at each other as Molly's snores filled the room.

"Thank you, boys," Arthur said, sighing heavily. He removed his glasses, rubbed a hand over his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your brother, it seems, has been lying to us. His apartment in Muggle London was sublet to someone else, and Percy has been staying the gods' know where these last few months."

"Really?!" Fred and George exclaimed, looks of pure surprise on their faces.

"That's news to us," George said.

Fred nodded in agreement. "Any idea who he let it out to?"

"Not yet, but I'm looking into it. The Ministry's still going crazy over Harry's disappearance, and if it doesn't have to do with him, then requests are practically ignored by officials. Besides, I didn't want this extra stress of Percy lying to affect your mother's fragile state," Arthur said, looking at his sleeping wife.

"Well, let us know when you find out. That person might know where Percy's been staying all this time," Fred and George said, grinning at each other knowingly.

Arthur nodded, then returned his attention to his sons. "Thank you for being understanding, boys. I should probably let you get back to your shop. I'm sure it's far more fun there than here!"

"Of course it is!" they replied indignantly. "But we'll stay and keep you company, old man," the twins added, winking at their father.

Arthur chuckled softly and ruffled their hair as he got up to go to the shed and his car.

...

Voldemort's red eyes stared at the Muggle floating above him with disdain. _Filthy Muggle; they were no better than animals being led to the slaughter_...

In his mind, Voldemort was no longer a Muggle-born. His father was dead, a God had no father after all; and he had exchanged blood and bodies with so many more that were far more pure than his good-for-nothing Muggle father. He had loyal followers, he was admired, feared, and he was in control. He was no longer Tom Marvolo Riddle, and truth be told, he had all but forgotten his youth. It was only Hogwarts and the lessons, spells, pure magic and knowledge that he had learnt there that kept him at all connected to his former self.

"My Dark Lord?" a voice rasped from the floor below him.

Voldemort removed his foot from Scabbers neck and flicked his eyes down to the ratty little man.

"I can find him. Potter. I can bring him here to you," he wheezed, his beady eyes bright with pain as he rubbed his neck.

Voldemort kicked Pettigrew down the few stairs that led to his chair - _throne_. Throne sounded much more majestic, god-like.

"Talk. Quickly, Scabbers, no unnecessary words," Voldemort added with a glare.

"Of course, your Eminence!" Pettigrew said quickly, his beady eyes on the ground as he told of his plan.

It was simple. Let the Potter boy believe that Pettigrew was on his side, he still had an oath to keep after all, and lead him to Voldemort's hiding place, where the Death Eaters would then ambush the boy. Voldemort would have ultimate victory.

"Very well, Scabbers. Achieve this, and you will be handsomely rewarded. Fail, and I will kill you myself," Voldemort hissed.

Pettigrew paled dramatically, and left the room before the Dark Lord could change his mind, or kick him again.

...

"If I don't leave this apartment soon, I'm going to kill someone," Draco groaned.

"Well, we're training so you can do exactly that. Retain your boredom long enough, and you'll be able to kill every Death Eater in the world just by looking at them," Blaise drawled sarcastically.

"You're not being very enthusiastic about this," Ginevra muttered, folding her arms.

"Of course we're not! We're bored. All we've done is train, train, and then train some more! We need to do something other than train!" Draco groaned, looking at her upside down from his position on the lounge.

"You're bored too, admit it," Blaise added, smirking at their lover.

Ginevra looked away, her cheeks reddening. "Maybe we can talk to the twins about getting us something to do," she said.

"Thank the gods!" Draco said, looking up at the ceiling gratefully.

"You can thank me later," Ginevra said, smirking. "Let's go train more."

"Let's not!" Blaise muttered, burrowing himself down into the couch to hide.

...

"We can't trust him," Ron said immediately.

Peter Pettigrew looked between them, his beady eyes shifting at each expression. They didn't trust him at all, that he could see.

"Please, Mr. Potter. I owe you a debt. I would never let any harm come to you," he said, his eyes widening slightly.

"Of course you'd say that, you sneaky little rat!" Ron said, glaring at him.

"You were my master once. Wasn't I good to you? Didn't I help you?"

Ron didn't say anything, but he still didn't look very convinced, and turned to Harry with pleading eyes.

"We can't trust him," Hermione said when Harry looked to her.

With a nod, Harry turned to look at Pettigrew for a brief moment. He was scratched, bloodied, had ratty clothes and really did look like he'd escaped Voldemort's clutches. Maybe he was telling the truth...

"You have to prove that you can be trusted, Pettigrew. Until then, you stay as far away from us as possible when we're talking, and don't go turning into an Animagus!" Harry said sternly.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. You are now my liege," Pettigrew said with a low bow.

Scurrying away when they began to talk, Pettigrew was quite pleased with himself, and thought of the rewards his Lord would give him on the delivery of Harry Potter and his friends.

...

"Hurry, love. The twins said that these clothes are only spelled for a few hours," Blaise murmured quietly, guiding her by the arm through the market.

They were wearing outfits that the twins had bought for them from a Muggle shop, which had then been painstakingly re-stitched and spelled so that whoever wore the outfit would look like a completely different person, and not even their mother would be able to tell who they were. Due to the spell's fragile nature, it wore off after a few hours of the clothing being worn, at which time the person wearing the clothing suddenly found themselves naked.

It was not only a very subtle magic, but one that was so difficult to actually perform if one wasn't a professional seamstress that the Ministry hadn't bothered to put it on any watch lists, like the Glamour and Polyjuice potion ingredients were. Evil people like Voldemort didn't have time or the patience to re-stitch their entire wardrobe, after all. Fred and George did though.

Draco was now a brunette with blue eyes; Blaise had auburn hair that Ginevra was almost jealous of and bright green eyes; while Ginevra herself was a blonde with eyes that were violet in colour. Despite the redefining features, the clothes made them look non-descript, and people's eyes slid over them more often than not.

"I know, I know. You think they would have chosen something a bit more comfortable for me to wear though. These tights are killing me," Ginevra muttered, pulling on her leg tights briefly.

"They'll be off you the moment we're home," Draco said with a wink, then glared at an elder lady who gasped her offence. "Stop listening to other people's conversations, you old bat," he muttered.

"Draco, that was rude," Ginevra hissed as the lady left in a huff.

"I don't care, she needed someone to talk to her like that, she's been trying to listen to everyone in a ten block radius for the past twenty minutes!" Draco huffed. Then he said his real concern, "Can't believe we've got three hours to be out, and we're at the grocery market."

"It was either this, or put up with whatever food my brothers bring for us. I don't particularly fancy mashed potatoes for the fourth night in a row, do you?" Ginevra asked.

Draco didn't reply, simply muttered under his breath, and kept pushing the shopping trolley.

They finished shopping after an hour, gathering enough food for a month. Ginevra was certain that if her mother had seen their groceries, she would have used them all in one night just to feed three people, but Ginevra had more sense than to do that.

"How much time do we have left?" she asked Blaise, stretching the tights yet again.

"A little over an hour. Is there anything else you want to do?" he asked quietly as he pushed the trolley now instead of Draco.

"I want to go to a Quidditch game," Draco said.

"You know we can't do that, love. The moment we go through the wards, the Ministry will find us," Ginevra said.

Draco sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, let's just get home."

Ginevra couldn't hide the huge grin that spread over her face. It was the first time Draco had called the apartment 'home'. Still smiling, she kissed his cheek and continued down the street.

Both Draco and Blaise were surprised at her sudden show of affection, looking to each other as they both wondered why it happened.

Hearing their lover scream, they both turned to where she had gone and ran towards her as they saw someone in a long black robe reach out and grab her arm. The shopping cart forgotten behind them, both Draco and Blaise ran to Ginevra. She was struggling in the person's grip, kicking and hitting anything she could reach.

If they hadn't been so worried, both Draco and Blaise would have been impressed to see her fighting this person off with everything they'd taught her.

She was Disapparated away before either one had a chance to do a thing.

As she disappeared from sight, Draco found himself to be feeling weak and his mind began to shut down to keep from bringing up horrific memories of torture and rape that he had barely survived. How would Ginevra survive?

Draco slumped to the ground and Blaise ran back to him quickly, crying out when he saw that Draco had closed his mind once more, so much so that he couldn't move on his own. Picking him up, Blaise half carried-half dragged Draco towards the trolley, which had thankfully not gone too far. He had to get back to the apartment before their clothes disappeared, the spell faded, and the Muggle world actually noticed them properly. Blaise didn't doubt that they would be arrested if they were caught naked outside, and he didn't want that to happen. He had to get Draco home and in bed, find some way to contact the twins and tell them about Ginevra, and only then would he allow himself to collapse into himself as Draco had done...

...

End of the eighth chapter.

Thank you for reading!

...


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, or any associated trademarks.

(a/n: _thank you to everyone who read, and thank you to those who reviewed as well!  
_

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...)

...

Chapter Nine

...

"You just saw a black robe? Nothing else?" Fred asked.

"What do you mean she was taken?" George asked at the same time, both twins staring at Blaise in shock.

The moment the Muggle-London pigeon had arrived at their shop and they'd read the note, Fred and George had Apparated to Muggle London, and ran all the way to the apartment. Consequences be damned if they were discovered.

Blaise sighed heavily and repeated everything he'd already told them twice. He didn't want to be sitting here, he needed to find Ginevra. Draco was asleep on the bed, and he looked almost as bad as he had after escaping the Death Eaters. Draco was certain that Ginevra had been taken by them, and was probably being tortured right this minute. Blaise had given him one of the sleeping tablets Ginevra had bought to calm him, and he'd thankfully fallen asleep within a few minutes.

"I have to find her," Blaise said, his hands gripping the armchair tightly.

"No, you have to stay here and look after Draco. We can't do that properly, and you can't go out looking for Ginevra properly either," George said.

"Whoever it was that kidnapped her probably took her to the wizarding world; you can't risk being caught and leaving Draco alone," Fred added.

Blaise ran a hand through his hair wearily. He could feel his mind tearing in two, one half wanting to find Ginevra, Apparate past every damned wizarding barrier on the planet, and the other half knew that he had to stay and look after Draco. He wouldn't survive if both of them were captured.

"Find her soon, okay?" the words were practically ripped from his throat, even as his mind screamed that it was wrong.

The twins nodded sombrely and left the apartment. They were silent as they walked out of the building and down to the busy Muggle street.

"See that, Gred?" Fred murmured, his eyes flicking to one of the black round things above their heads.

"Muggle cameras," George replied with a nod.

"Which shop did he say they went to?" Fred asked, an evil smile beginning to form.

George returned the smile and they headed down the street quickly. The sooner they broke into the Muggle camera place, the sooner they'd find out who had captured their sister. And that person would pay with more than their life.

...

Blaise paced the apartment as Draco continued to sleep. There was something wrong. Ginevra wasn't there, and that was wrong, of course, but there was something else that was wrong. Something was at the back of his mind, taunting him that it knew something was wrong and he didn't.

He went over and over the events in his mind, out loud, quietly, loudly, trying anything and everything to think of what was wrong.

They'd gone to the shops to buy food for dinner; they'd all been wearing the clothes the twins had made for them and hadn't been noticed by the Muggles; they'd purchased their items and then Ginevra kissed Draco before leaving the store ahead of them; and finally she'd been kidnapped right off the street in broad daylight while surrounded by Muggles.

Surrounded by Muggles who hadn't noticed them because of their appearance-altering clothing... Clothing which was spelled to stay that way for another hour! So the person who'd taken Ginevra either knew who she was under that spell, or had taken her thinking that she was someone else!

His revelation made him cry out in surprise, and he went quiet when he heard Draco stir in the room next door.

"Don't worry, love. I'll find her and bring her back," Blaise murmured softly.

He left through the front door quickly, closing it behind him with the smallest sound possible.

...

"The person is definitely wearing a robe. Not Muggle-made either," George muttered, looking at the small screen in front of him.

"Can't see their face from any of these useless cameras," Fred growled angrily. He was clutching his wand so tight it almost snapped.

"Mnng. Thpt!"

Fred hit the bound Muggle behind them with a Stunning spell. It seemed the Ton Tongue Toffee was starting to wear off...

"Who knew that she was here? Besides us, that is," Fred said.

"That's just it. Besides Draco, Blaise and us, no one else knew they were here. You don't think we've been followed?" George asked, frowning.

"Maybe. We've been careful all this time though," Fred replied.

A beeping noise sounded in George's pocket and he pulled out the Alarm Quill in frustration.

"We have to get back to Mother before she comes looking for us in the shop," he said, sighing heavily.

Fred just nodded and Obliviated the Muggle guard. They Apparated to their shop and Flooed to the Burrow. If anyone had been following their progress from their earlier Apparation, then they would have already found Fred and George before they went into the camera place.

"There you are boys. Go sit down with your father while I serve dinner," Molly said, shooing them away the moment they stepped inside.

Fred and George just greeted her briefly and went down to the living room. As he entered the room, George stopped suddenly, gripping Fred's arm tightly.

"What's wrong?" Fred whispered, seeing their father asleep on the lounge.

"We weren't the ones followed. They knew where they were all along," George said, his face pale.

Fred followed his gaze to the Weasley clock. Ever since Harry had taken off with Ron and Hermione, Molly had been adding new locations to the clock in an attempt to find out where they were. Fred and George hadn't questioned it, thinking that she'd just been so distraught at their leaving that Molly wanted to tell them off, force feed them, and then send them on their way again. But now, with places like 'Muggle London' showing on the clock, it gave the clock a whole new meaning.

"See Ginevra's spoon?" Fred murmured.

It was set to 'at home' but that didn't make any sense. Ginevra wasn't there, Molly hadn't told them of their sister's arrival in any case, and there was no way Ginevra would have just waltzed back home without Draco and Blaise.

"Boys? Oh. I did wonder how long it would take for you to realise. Three lousy months in this wretched body, and no one noticed. A few hysterical words, and you'd all scamper off to your own corners."

It sounded so very weird, this hostile tone in their mother's voice.

"It was almost too easy to get in here, you know. You lot have been in St. Mungo's so much you've practically left pieces of yourselves in there. A simple overnight raid for some blood samples, and it was done easy enough. Ministry restrictions on Polyjuice potion ingredients were a bit harder to get around, but that's greed for you: anyone will do anything if you give them enough money. And not to mention that ridiculous Mollywobbles name set up as a password! At least your father realised I wasn't his wife for most of the time. It took him about five days, and he's been under a Confundus spell ever since."

As the stranger-who-was-using-their-mother's-body continued his or her tirade, George worked on unscrewing a round ball behind his back. Gently so the person didn't realise what he was doing, but so that Fred could see.

"You know, I did think your cooking had gotten awfully bad these last few weeks," Fred said, grinning as the person's attention focused on him.

As the impostor glared at him and raised their wand, George threw the two halves of the ball, black smoke rising immediately. They heard a loud thump. Not wanting to take any unnecessary risks, George took hold of Arthur while Fred Accio'ed the clock, and in a second they both Apparated, going anywhere and everywhere their minds could think of. It was only after about ten minutes and possibly more than a hundred different locations, that they finally Apparated to Muggle London.

A few minutes later, they were at the apartment, knocking loudly and urgently. Ignoring the worried neighbours who peeked out from behind the doors, Fred and George continued to knock. The door was finally opened by Draco, who looked like he'd just had a Dementor's Kiss. His eyes were hollow and he moved like someone who was dead on the inside.

"Where's Blaise?" Fred asked as George laid Arthur on the couch gently.

"I'll put the kettle on. Do you have any perfume or cologne?" George asked Draco as he walked into the kitchen.

"Don't need it," he replied.

"Of course," George muttered, heading into the laundry.

"Where's Blaise?" Fred repeated. It seemed Draco only had enough strength to answer one question at a time.

"I ... I don't know," he said, faltering. His gaze landed on the clock, and he stared at Ginevra's spoon which was now on 'mortal peril'.

"Our mother was Polyjuiced. We have to get out of here before the impostor comes for you," Fred said.

Draco nodded briefly and headed into the kitchen. The kettle finished boiling but he ignored it, instead grabbing bags from the pantry and filling it with food.

"Uh. What are you doing? Didn't you hear me? We have to go," Fred said.

"Can't leave without food. Already did that once, and it didn't really end well, did it?" Draco snapped.

George returned from the laundry, a cotton ball in his hand. He waved it under Arthur's nose, the smell of ammonia wafting over. Arthur woke with a start. He looked around drowsily, focusing on Draco as he came out of the kitchen, bags in hand.

"What's Malfoy's boy doing here?" Arthur asked, sounding ill.

"He's helping us find Ginevra, Dad. Drink this, quick. The tea will help negate the spells she put you under."

"She? You mean the person pretending to be your mother?" he asked with a groan, holding his head in his hands.

"Yes. Drink up," Fred said, moving Arthur to put the tea cup in his hands.

Slowly, Arthur drank the tea. His colour returned, but he never took his wary eyes off Draco.

"We have to go. Where's Gin now?" George asked Fred.

"Mortal peril. Mother's still at home. Maybe they kept them together?"

"Probably. Not many places to hide people in there."

"The shed," Draco said suddenly.

George nodded, taking Arthur's hand. Fred grabbed Draco's and they all Apparated back to the Burrow.

...

Kerry waited in the manor impatiently, biting her fingers as her impatience turned to fear over time. She sensed it the moment Blaise entered the wizarding world, and moved through space to get to where he was. Unfortunately, she was too late, and only arrived in time to see Blaise being taken away by Ministry officials.

"Ma'am?" Kerry said, her head bowed low.

"What is it, Kerry?" Siren drawled, not looking at the house elf.

"Kerry needs Ma'am's permission to illegally get Master Blaise from the Ministry," Kerry said, her voice quiet.

Siren sat up immediately, staring at the elf. "The Ministry has my son?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Kerry knows how long it will take for Ma'am to get through the Ministry paperwork and legalities, so Kerry would like to get Master Blaise out before he is sent to Azkaban."

"Get him out of there right now," Siren said, her fingers curled and her nails digging into her palms. She was standing before Kerry had even disappeared, and headed over to the fireplace. "Bailey Daniels," she said, throwing powder into the flames.

"Good evening, Bailey Daniel's office. Oh. Mrs. Zabini. Let me transfer you straight through," the receptionist said in a flurry.

Her lawyer's head appeared immediately, looking surprised. "Siren, to what do I owe this firecall? You're not in trouble, are you?"

"Not yet, but the moment my house elf returns with my son, I will be," Siren replied.

...

Blaise Apparated right in front of the Ministry building, and even then it still took the Aurors a minute to realise who he was and that he was supposed to be arrested. He let the officials take him inside, trying not to roll his eyes at them too much.

He'd literally shown up on their doorstep and they hadn't known what to do. How on earth were they going to win this war?

They'd taken his wand from him and kept him in an interrogation room for what seemed like hours before anyone came to see him. By that time, Blaise was so annoyed at their lack of professionalism that he refused to talk to the quill-pusher simply out of spite.

When they realised he wasn't going to answer any of their questions, they'd thrown him into one of the Ministry's holding cells; a place designed to put fear into people before they were due to be sent to Azkaban.

A few minutes after seven o'clock, Blaise pulled the bobby pin and paperclip out of his pocket and started to work on opening his cell's lock.

Idiots hadn't even thought of taking anything other than his wand from him.

The cell was open by half past seven, and he was free to wander the Ministry on his own. Since everyone knew that Voldemort was controlling the Ministry, there had to be some clue to Ginevra's abduction in the Ministry itself. If it had to do with Draco's disappearance, then Blaise was almost positive that they would have taken Draco instead of Ginevra. What on earth were they trying to achieve by kidnapping Ginevra Molly Weasley?

Blaise found his wand in a desk, and tried a few spells to help him find something about Ginevra.

"Does Master need Kerry's help?" the house elf asked, appearing behind him all of a sudden.

Blaise cursed and lowered his wand. "What are you trying to do, kill me?" he muttered.

"No, Master Blaise. Kerry's here to help you."

Shaking his head, Blaise muttered some more swear words under his breath. "I need to find out why they've taken Ginevra. Why not Draco or me? And where have they taken her? Promised I'd bring her back..."

"Kerry knows the answer to Master's first question," she said, rummaging through a stack of Daily Prophet's on a nearby desk. Evidently finding the one she wanted, Kerry handed it to Blaise.

He read the article with a frown. It was all about Harry Potter and his love for Ginny Weasley, who had missed him so much she'd gone after him.

"How on earth did the Prophet find out about any of this crap? They weren't exactly public..."

"Kerry does not know. If Kerry could make a suggestion, Master Blaise?" she piped up.

"Yes?"

"Kerry thinks Master Blaise should leave the Ministry now. Aurors will know that Master Blaise has left his prison without permission, and they will be here soon."

"I can't leave without finding out where Ginevra is," Blaise said, throwing the paper back onto the desk and running over to the stairs.

"Master Blaise, Kerry can find where Miss Ginevra is. Do you have something of Miss Ginevra's?" she asked, hurrying after him.

"No, I didn't stop to grab her brush on the way here," he said, rolling his eyes as he continued upstairs.

"Wait, Master Blaise," Kerry said, grabbing his arm. Frowning slightly, she picked something off his shirt.

"Do you really think this is the time to be grooming me, Kerry? Like you said, Aurors will be here at any moment," Blaise said, trying to keep the sarcastic tone from his voice.

"It is a red hair. A long red hair, Master Blaise," she added, waving it in front of him gently. "It is Miss Ginevra's. Unless you know someone else with long red hair?" she asked somewhat sarcastically for a house-elf.

He heard an Auror call out, and Blaise nodded quickly, ignoring her tone. She grabbed his hand and they disappeared instantly.

...

Siren sat up, instantly awake the moment she heard the tell-tale pop from Kerry. Pulling her robe about her body properly, she Apparated down to the foyer.

"Did you find him? Is Blaise safe?" she asked the house-elf, seeing that she was alone.

Kerry swayed on her feet slightly, and a second later, she fell to the ground. Siren cried out when she saw the dark red-black blood that started to seep out around Kerry's fallen body. She hurried to heal the house elf, but Kerry had lost too much blood, and Siren's spells were practically useless. Not even a minute later, Kerry's heart stopped beating.

Staring at the house elf, Siren went into a numb state of shock. She didn't even move when blood soaked into her favourite robes.

_If Kerry had sustained injuries this bad, how was Blaise faring? Was he alive, or was he dying somewhere as well_? Feeling sick to her stomach, Siren almost wanted the numb feeling to return.

It took some time, and more than a few loud-pitched cries from other house elves, but emotion and feeling returned to Siren's mind and body. She was pissed off.

Whoever had killed her house elf was most likely the one who had her son, or knew about his whereabouts at least. If her son had left without warning, that meant that he was probably with Draco Malfoy somewhere, and she'd heard enough about the Weasley's predicament with their children to have guessed that the youngest was probably tied in with all of this too. She didn't believe that Miss Ginny Weasley was as in love with Harry Potter as the _Prophet_ said; and Siren should know, she'd made tens of men believe that she loved them over the years.

_The anger she felt was directed at the person who had killed her house elf, probably kidnapped her son, and gods' know what else. It had to be Death Eaters, which meant there was only one person she could go to who would be able to help... At least she'd already contacted her lawyer; now if she had to kill a Death Eater or ten for kidnapping her son, at least she knew she would be properly represented_.

Siren stood up, ignoring the gathered house elves. They tried to clean her robes, but she pushed them away and Apparated to Malfoy Manor. Narcissa would know something, or at the very least, would want to find their missing sons.

...

End of chapter nine.

Thank you for reading!

...


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** as usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter...

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I appreciate it.

To those who only read: I hope you enjoy the story.

...

Chapter Ten

...

Blaise opened his eyes when he felt the world stop moving around him, and was more than surprised to see that he was at The Burrow. The sky seemed darker than he had remembered leaving it.

"Are you sure we're in the right place, Kerry?" he asked with a frown.

"Kerry is sure, Master Blaise," she replied, frowning at their destination as well.

Trusting his house elf, despite her uncertainty, Blaise headed towards the house. It was then that he realised that the sky wasn't dark due to the setting sun; it was because of the thick black smoke that was pouring out of the Burrow.

Not thinking of anything or anyone other than Ginevra, Blaise ran towards the house and straight inside. He knew enough of the layout from his time there that he was able to dodge various pieces of furniture before he even remembered his wand. Lighting it quickly, he tried to see in vain. Blaise was so busy trying to see in front of him that he didn't see the person coming up behind him until it was too late. Blood coated his robes before he felt the pain from the dagger in his arm.

Kerry let out a screech and launched herself at the person who was trying to hurt **her** Master Blaise. Bellatrix snarled and stabbed at the house-elf, trying to get it off her back. Her elbow connected with Blaise's temple and he fell to the ground with a thud. Smirking, Bellatrix stabbed her wand at the creature, a spell on her lips. Cuts ripped their way through the house-elf's small body, and Kerry disappeared with a scream.

Satisfied, Bellatrix turned to her victim. _The Zabini heir. Her Lord would be pleased_. Hearing Apparation pops, she hissed in displeasure. She would have to leave the two Weasley women. For now...

...

Fred arrived with the clock in his arms, George Side-Apparating their father. Draco arrived a few seconds later, the bags weighing him down.

"Did you leave the door open, Gred?" Fred asked, frowning.

George materialised a chair and settled Arthur on it carefully. He looked to his twin with a frown. "No, did you, Forge?" George asked, following Fred's gaze to see the back door wide open.

"Odd, I didn't think that impostors would use doors when they could Apparate in and out..." Fred said, trailing off.

"You'll check then? We need to look for ... hey!" George called after Draco, seeing him walking down to the shed already. He hurried after him quickly, leaving Arthur sitting there and Fred to investigate.

Fred put a ward around his father before heading up to the house. He didn't want to leave Arthur out in the open like this, but he was protected, so that would have to be enough for now. Clearing most of the smoke with a few spells, Fred looked around the house, frowning when he didn't see anyone. Heading to the back door, he coughed when more smoke entered his lungs, and he cleared some more quickly. As he was doubled over coughing miserably, something caught his attention. Blood.

...

Draco opened the shed door, looking inside carefully. George was beside him, his wand drawn. Opening the door wider when he didn't see anyone inside, Draco stepped inside cautiously. Just because he couldn't see any danger, it didn't mean it wasn't there.

He looked around the small shed, trying to see if anything had changed since his last time here. It was difficult to notice anything new; he'd been sleeping most of the time, after all. Draco looked to George, who was looking at everything with the same expression. Neither had been in the shed for long.

"We need to get Arthur in here; he'll know the shed better than us," Draco said, looking around again.

George nodded and left the shed quickly. After he'd left, Draco continued to look around. He tried to remember everything he'd seen. He'd been on the table _there_. Blaise had sat on the chest _there_. Ginevra had always waited to the side, by the broom closet.

_Where __**was**__ the broom closet_? he thought, doing a double take. Draco moved closer to the now-blank wall, his hand outstretched. There wasn't even dust marks on the floor.

"Wait! Don't move!" George said quickly, arriving at the door with his father.

Draco went still immediately, wondering what George could see that he couldn't. George darted inside, his wand transfiguring into a circular disc on a stick. There was a loud THWACK behind Draco, and he turned to see George standing over a dead spider.

"It's a poisonous one. Didn't want you to die from a spider bite when there's a war coming," George said, grinning.

"Thanks," Draco said after a moment. Turning back to the blank space, he frowned and kept walking forward. "The broom closet isn't in here anymore. Has it been moved, or was it charmed to be invisible?" he thought out loud, his hands outstretched.

"Charmed," Arthur answered, leaning against the door frame. "That woman has been spending a lot of time in here."

"We were in here a lot before then; where was Mum hidden before now?" George asked, his eyebrow raised.

"In the attic," Arthur replied.

Draco's hands hit something solid half a metre before he reached the wall. "Definitely here. George, could you do the honours? I can't use my wand; the Ministry will find me in a second."

With a nod of understanding, George stepped forward and removed the invisibility spell on the closet. Nothing happened. With a frown, he tried again. Again, nothing happened.

"I don't think you're using the right counter-curse," Draco said, stepping forward again.

"That's the only counter-curse for an invisibility spell," George replied.

"Only for the _Light_ invisibility spell," Draco corrected. "There are Dark spells that can hide things as well. I only know two of the counter-curses. I believe there's five."

"Just how dangerous are these counter-curses?" George asked, frowning.

Draco didn't reply.

...

Fred hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a clean tea towel from a drawer. Going back to the hallway, he was careful not to step on the blood. Swabbing at it gently, Fred wasn't sure if he wanted the blood to be Blaise's or not.

Leaving the house, he went down to the shed. Voices were raising but all three, so Fred stopped and listened as they argued. _Something about Dark Magic_, he realised after a few minutes.

"I found blood inside," Fred announced as he moved to the shed's doorway. "I don't know whose it is," he added when his father, his brother, and his sister's lover went silent.

"I'll do the counter-curses; tell me what they are, Draco," Arthur said, straightening and stepping into the shed. It took a lot of his strength to stand on his own, but his fear for his wife and daughter came before anything else.

"Sorry, Arthur, but these spells take a lot of energy. Even if you just do one, it may kill you," Draco said apologetically.

"I'll do it," George and Fred said at the same time.

"You can check the towel to see who's blood it is," Fred added to Arthur, who looked frustrated at his helplessness.

Eager for a task, Arthur nodded and took the offered tea towel. "Be careful, both of you," he added sombrely.

"Wouldn't dream otherwise," they replied in mock cheer.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked, looking at them.

Fred and George looked at each other. With a slight grin, they linked arms and turned to face Draco. "We were born ready."

...

Blaise woke up, feeling lightheaded before he'd even sat up. His head was throbbing and he felt woozy. _Had he gone out drinking with Draco and Ginevra? No, that wasn't right_... Opening his eyes, Blaise saw that he was in a cage.

Memories flooded his mind, and he felt the recent loss of his familial blood tie to Kerry. _Bellatrix had killed his favourite house-elf! That bitch would pay_.

"Aw, you're awake. How lovely. My master is quite eager to see you, darling," Bellatrix said, running her wand along the metal surrounding him.

Blaise lunged for her wand, but was immediately hexed. His body was blasted across the small cage, and he hit the bars with a hard smack. He didn't move, but Bellatrix didn't seem to care. Quickly becoming bored at his lack of movement and response, she left the room to torture a house elf. Blaise sat up, listening carefully in case Bellatrix decided to come back.

Satisfied that she'd left him alone, he pulled out the paperclip and bobby pin from the lining of his shirt. Turning slightly, Blaise began to work at the lock, hoping that Bellatrix had made the same mistake as the Ministry.

...

"Where is he?" Bellatrix snarled, grabbing an elf by the throat and shaking the creature.

"Minky does n-not know, my Lady!" the house elf managed to stammer when she'd let go.

"Useless creature," she hissed, kicking it out of the way. Blood seeped out of its' pillow case shirt; she turned away in disgust. "All of you find him! Now!" she yelled at the group of trembling ears and wide eyes.

The house elves hurried to leave, not wanting their colleague's fate.

Bellatrix ground her teeth, her wand twirling in her fingers. She left the room, intent on finding the Zabini heir herself. The gods' knew that house elves were unreliable and useless.

Blaise dropped down from the rafters quietly, making his way over to the bleeding house elf. It made him think of Kerry and his throat tightened. Bellatrix had taken his wand, so he had no way of healing the small creature. Sighing softly, he ripped the sleeve of his shirt and gently wound it around the house elf's ribs to help stop the bleeding.

"Minky does not need help," the house elf protested softly, his eyes wider than usual.

"You're losing too much blood," Blaise replied practically, rolling his eyes.

Minky scrunched his eyes closed, but kept quiet and let Blaise finish. Tears leaked from his eyes, dripping onto the dirty pillow case.

"There, it should stop the bleeding. Do you belong to the Black family or the Malfoy's?" Blaise asked, keeping an eye on the door.

"M-Malfoy family," Minky replied.

"So you don't owe Bellatrix anything?"

Minky stayed silent and kept his eyes closed.

"I know where Draco is," Blaise said.

Minky's eyes shot open, his long fingers wrapping around Blaise's arm. "Where is Master Draco?" Minky asked desperately.

"I can't tell you, I can only show you. To do that, I need to get out of here."

Minky looked absolutely torn, his ears flopping miserably even as he looked hopeful at the thought of finding his Master again. Lady Bellatrix had taken over Malfoy Manor at the Dark Lord's request, and Lady Narcissa spent most of her time looking for her son. If he brought Master Draco back, then Lady Narcissa would be able to take care of the Manor once more, and Lady Bellatrix would have no hold over the house elves.

"Take Minky's hand," he said, finally deciding.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Blaise took the house elf's hand and they Disapparated with a loud crack.

...

Draco opened the closet door, sparing a glance for the sleeping twins behind him. They'd used up all of their energy to perform the two Dark spells, and he was just glad that the counter-curse had been the second.

"I'll look after them. Go," Arthur said, nodding in encouragement.

Draco nodded in return and stepped into the closet, making his way down the staircase. He was armed with some metal Muggle contraption that Arthur had called a crowbar. Draco couldn't see the resemblance between what he was holding and a crow, but Muggles had named it, so he didn't expect much anyway.

The chamber he found himself in was surprisingly well-lit, torches flickering their light into the room. He saw two cages in the centre of the room, a cauldron boiling to the side. He recognised the smell of the Polyjuice Potion and doused the fire with a bowl of water, ruining what was left of it.

With that task done, Draco turned to the two cages. Molly was being held in one, Ginevra in the other. Their hands were outstretched, yet they weren't able to touch and get comfort from the other. His eyes landed on Molly; the robust woman he remembered was no longer. She was much thinner, her eyes hollow and her clothes hanging on her loosely.

Fighting his emotions, Draco turned to Ginevra's cage. She didn't look as bad as she could have, but he put that down to the fact she hadn't been in this hellhole for as long as her mother.

"Draco? Is that really you?" Ginny asked, her voice raw and her lips cracked.

"It's me, love. Your father and brother's are upstairs," he said, moving to her.

The crowbar fell to the ground as he knelt beside the cage, taking Ginevra's hand.

"We've been so worried about you."

Ginny caressed his face gently, kissing him between the bars.

"Not quite the rescue mission I thought I'd be seeing," an amused voice drawled behind them.

"Master Draco!"

Draco turned to see Blaise standing there, a house elf next to him. He rushed over to Blaise, ignoring the house elf as he planted a kiss on his lover's lips.

"Don't leave me like that ever again," Draco breathed, pulling away.

"Blaise? Draco? Can you get us out of here now?" Ginevra said, worry lacing her voice as she looked at her mother.

"Right. Sorry, love," Blaise said, grabbing Molly's wand from the bench. "Here you are, Mrs. Weasley," he said softly, handing it to her.

She clenched it like a drowning person would a buoy. It didn't magically remove the wear and tear she'd experienced, but her wand was a comfort she'd been denied for three long months.

Draco was working on using the crowbar to open the cage, unsuccessful so far.

"Here, let me try. Look after Minky, he'll have a heart attack soon," Blaise muttered, taking the bar from him.

Minutes later, Molly crawled out of her open cage. She didn't move very far or fast, watching as Blaise wrestled with the lock on her daughter's cage. In less time, Ginevra made her way out. She kissed Blaise, hugging him tightly.

"Let go, Minky!" Draco snarled, trying to peel the elf's hand off his arm.

"No, Minky must take Master Draco to his mother. Lady Narcissa is worried about you," Minky protested. "Lady Bellatrix is hurting the elves."

"If I go home, the Dark Lord will find me there and kill both me and my mother. If you think Bellatrix is bad now, wait until there's no one to stop her," Draco muttered.

Minky whimpered in fright at the possibilities, letting go of Draco's arm reluctantly.

"Here, let me help you, Mrs. Weasley," Blaise murmured, helping her off the floor gently.

Draco put his arm around Ginevra's shoulders, and they all made their way back up the staircase. Minky followed quietly, wringing his hands over and over.

"Mollywobbles!" Arthur said, running over and gathering his wife in his arms.

"Careful, Mr. Weasley. She's hurt and needs medical attention," Blaise said.

Arthur pulled away reluctantly, holding his wife up gently.

"I'll be fine," Molly said, licking her dry lips. She looked to her two sleeping sons, to her daughter with who she presumed to be her two lovers, and finally to her husband. "Did that bitch do anything to my kitchen?"

...

Minky healed Molly, insisting on helping his Master's lover. If he'd known that Blaise was as well, he would have helped him without hesitation. Minky returned to Malfoy Manor alone, despite more protests.

Draco, Blaise and Ginevra accepted Molly and Arthur's invitation to stay the night at the Burrow. They slept on Ginevra's childhood bed, arms and legs and bodies wrapped around each other to provide comfort and warmth in the cool night.

Morning came, and Molly discovered that Ginevra, Draco and Blaise were all gone. They'd left the room as they'd entered it, her memory the only reminder that they'd been there.

Fred and George didn't say anything about where they'd gone, and after a few prompts, Molly let them be. It was for her own safety, that much was obvious, and she wouldn't reject that. As soon as he'd finished breakfast, Arthur reset the wards around the Burrow, adding more that he deemed necessary.

...

Wormtail watched carefully as Harry and Ron talked to each other. Hermione was on guard duty, and as engrossed in their conversation as they were, neither boy noticed him creeping closer.

"Come on, mate. You have to tell her sometime," Harry was saying, shaking his head at his ginger-haired friend.

"I'm not telling her a thing. She can apologise first," Ron muttered, his arms crossed.

"She already said she was sorry! _Tell her_," Harry said.

"There's ... there's nothing to tell," Ron said, turning away. Wormtail didn't have time to move out of his view, and Ron saw him immediately, anger turning his face red. "Oi! You sneaky little rat!"

Before he could run, Wormtail was bound from behind and Hermione came into view, her wand drawn. Ron's blush deepened, wondering how much of their conversation she'd heard.

"Do you see now, Harry? He can't be trusted!" Hermione said, glaring down at the rat.

Harry sighed heavily, taking his glasses off to rub his eyes. "I know."

"It's too late," Wormtail said with a giggle.

All three looked at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Wormtail?" Harry asked, advancing on him.

"Much too late, too late. The Dark Lord approaches," he said, his laughter taking on a level of insanity that he'd kept well hidden all this time.

There was a scream, and Harry spun around to see a Death Eater's wand at Hermione and Ron's throats. Blood drained from his face, leaving him feeling dizzy. He stepped towards them, even as Wormtail kept laughing behind him. He'd let Wormtail stay, knowing that he'd betrayed his parents. He'd trusted Wormtail, as they'd done, and now his best friends were at the mercy of Death Eaters. His scar began to burn as Voldemort approached.

"Apparate, Harry! Go!" Hermione yelled, her elbow connecting with the Death Eater behind her.

Ron turned and punched the Death Eater when Hermione's sudden movement startled him.

"Go! Quick!" Ron yelled, sending a hex at the Death Eaters.

The pain was too much. He couldn't think straight. Voldemort was coming. His friends were fighting. Wormtail's betrayal.

"Apparate!" Hermione yelled.

It was enough to bring him out of his stupor for a few seconds. That was enough to have him following Hermione's order. He Apparated and left his friends behind, their fight echoing in his ears as his scar continued to burn.

...

End of the tenth chapter.

Thank you for reading!

...


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

(a/n: _Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed._

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...)

...

_Chapter Eleven_

...

Siren found Narcissa in a store in Diagon Alley.

"Cissy, dear. What on earth are you thinking of, buying that?" Siren drawled, rolling her eyes when she saw the champagne coloured robes in her hands.

Narcissa looked at her, a slight smile on her face. "What are you thinking of, wearing that?" she returned the banter friendlily enough and then she actually saw what Siren was wearing. "Siren, all of that blood! What happened? Are you all right?"

Siren noticed that she was attracting the attention of others in the store. Grabbing the robes from Narcissa, she threw them haphazardly onto a table, grabbed her friend's arm and guided her out of the store.

"Kerry, my house elf, was killed. She'd gone to help Blaise," Siren murmured.

"Oh my! Is Blaise all right? Has... has he said anything about my Draco?" she asked, her voice hushed but urgent.

"Kerry didn't return with Blaise. I have no way of knowing about him, nor Draco," she replied, shaking her head. "The Death Eaters have him; I know they do, Cissy. I need to get to them. I need to get my son back," Siren said desperately, her nails digging into her friend's arm.

Narcissa's face blanched slightly, but she nodded and Side Apparated Siren to Malfoy Manor. Her sister was staying with her, per the Dark Lord's orders, for an undetermined amount of time.

"WHERE IS HE?" Bellatrix shouts greeted them when they arrived.

"We do not knows, Mistress. We are not finding the Zabini boy," the house elves replied, their voices quivering.

Siren's grip tightened on Narcissa's arm even more. "She had Blaise," she whispered, unable to comprehend it.

"IF YOU DON'T FIND HIM IN TEN MINUTES, I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU FUCKING PATHETIC USELESS - _CRUCIO_!" Bellatrix anger boiled over and she hexed a group of three elves.

Narcissa's face went stern and she pried Siren's fingers from her arm. She could barely tolerate her sister's insanity most days, but to use Unforgivables on **her** house elves? The only creatures she'd seen since Lucius' arrest and Draco's disappearance? The only creatures who made sure she was comfortable at night when not even Siren could stay, or when her own sister was off torturing some stupid Muggle family? The very same sister who she'd housed these last six months because of a Dark Lord who had put her husband in Azkaban? And this was the way Bellatrix repaid her? By hexing her house elves?

She heard the house elves screaming, and without hesitating for a second more, Narcissa Apparated upstairs to where her insane sister was hurting **her** house elves.

Siren wasn't surprised at Narcissa's disappearance, and hurried to Apparate after her. If Bellatrix had held her son captive for even a minute, that meant that this bitch was the one who had killed Kerry.

"What are you doing home, Cissa?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes wide when she saw her sister advancing on her. Then she spotted Siren and a sneer replaced her surprise. "And look what _trash_ you brought home. The Dark Lord will be at your home soon, you traitorous whore," she hissed, raising her wand to her.

"Ma'am. Ma'am, please," one of the huddled house elves whimpered. Minky outstretched his large hand to Narcissa.

"Take the hurt elves to be healed at once," Narcissa said, her eyes never leaving her sister.

There were a few pops and soon, they were the only three remaining.

"Do you really want to do this, sister? To hurt me is to hurt the Dark Lord," Bellatrix said, but her voice betrayed her fear.

Narcissa had always been better at spells than Bellatrix, but she'd always been better with weapons. Her free hand went to the dagger in her sleeve, ready to do what she needed to do. _For the Dark Lord_, she justified to herself as she took hold of her dagger.

Siren noticed what Bellatrix was doing and she stepped next to Narcissa before either sister could react. "_Expelliarmus_!" she yelled, the spell hitting the surprised Bellatrix instantly.

Narcissa caught her sister's wand easily, binding her with a word. Turning to Siren, she saw her on the ground, Bellatrix's dagger embedded into her shoulder.

"Was never good at catching sharp flying objects," Siren said with a slight grin.

Even more blood stained her robes, and Siren began to feel dizzy. She heard Narcissa call for house elves, felt magic encircling her body, fire and pain ripping through her shoulder as the dagger was pulled out. The world began to darken.

"Minky knows where Master Zabini is," the whisper followed her into the blackness.

...

"Ginevra? You're not going to believe who's down in the street," Blaise said, staring down at the crowded Muggle street in shock.

"If I won't believe it, why are you telling me about ... **oh**," Ginevra trailed off when she saw who Blaise was staring at.

"Oh?" Draco echoed, moving to the window. "Scarhead? What on earth is that idiot doing in Muggle London? Doesn't he know that Death Eaters are after him?"

"Should we get him?" Ginevra asked quietly.

"Do you think we can risk it? We're lucky enough that no one else has found us since the last time," Blaise muttered. "It could be a trap," he added.

"It's not a trap," Draco said certainly. He moved away from the window, shaking his head. "No one else in the world can look as pathetic as Potter."

"What are you doing?" Ginevra asked, seeing that Draco was pulling his jacket on.

"Going to get the Scarhead before he gets the whole of London killed," he drawled, heading to the door.

Blaise glanced at Ginevra, his eyebrow raised. She understood his message and, grabbing her coat, she headed after Draco.

"Potter! Get off the street, would you?" Draco hissed at him, grabbing the raven haired boy's arm.

"Malfoy?" Harry said, staring uncomprehendingly. "You're alive?"

"Nice to see you too. Now get inside before you draw even more attention to yourself," he muttered, pulling Harry towards the building. Ginny was at the base of the stairs, pulling on her jacket.

"Ginny? Ginny, what are you doing here?"

"Keep quiet, would you?" she hissed, ignoring his question.

Struck dumb, Harry could only nod and follow Ginny upstairs. There was a low growl behind him when Draco realised that Harry was staring at her arse. Seconds later, Harry was falling face-first onto the staircase.

"Was that really necessary, love?" Ginny said with a sigh.

Harry sat up, rubbing his sore face.

"Damn right it was. Let's get inside before the neighbours notice something," Draco muttered, knocking on the door.

Blaise opened it and they hurried inside, Draco dragging Harry by the arm forcefully. Harry was dumped unceremoniously on the lounge. On the other lounge, Blaise and Draco sat down, pulling Ginevra between them. Territorial urges took over and they both took turns at kissing her, showing Potter exactly _who_ Ginevra was with.

Ginevra pulled away from them, her face flushed. She couldn't have cared less about their show, still remembering the last time she'd seen Harry and how he'd stared at her.

Harry finally seemed to gather his wits about him and started with his usual prejudiced shouts. Screams of brainwashing, Slytherin devils, Death Eaters, and every other ridiculous fantasy Harry's mind could come up with were echoing around the apartment for almost twenty minutes.

Ginevra waited until he'd finished, brought him a glass of water and returned to her position between Draco and Blaise without hesitation. They smirked at Harry smugly, their arms around her posessively.

"They have not brainwashed me, and really, if they were Death Eaters, do you think any of us would have been living in Muggle London all these months? As to the rest of the shit you were spouting, it was just that: shit. We just saved you from being discovered and probably killed, so you should be grateful not throwing it back in our faces," Ginevra said, giving him a glare reminiscent of Molly.

Harry was speechless - or his throat just hurt too much to respond verbally - so he just nodded abashedly.

"Now, where are Ron and Hermione? Why aren't they with you?" Ginevra asked, her voice cracking slightly.

Draco and Blaise took her hands, reassuring her silently.

Harry took another sip of water and looked away, wondering how to tell Ginny that he'd abandoned his two best friends just so he could escape.

"Answer her, Potter," Blaise said softly.

Harry looked up, and on seeing the look in Blaise's eyes, he told his tale.

...

Siren woke up, her son the first thing on her mind. She called out for Minky, her feet swinging over the edge of the bed to stand properly. Narcissa was asleep on the lounge beside her bed, her hair a mess.

"Ma'am must not be up yet," Minky whispered anxiously.

"Where is my son?" Siren asked, ignoring the house-elf's statement.

"Master Blaise is with his lovers Master Draco and Miss Ginevra," Minky replied.

"Who is Ginevra?" Narcissa asked, sitting up and fixing her hair quickly.

"The only daughter of the Weasley family," Siren replied when Minky's eyes widened in fear.

"Draco's lucky his father is in Azkaban," Narcissa murmured, shaking her head briefly.

"So where are they then?" Siren asked, looking to the trembling house-elf.

"The last time Minky saw them, they were with the Weasley family at their home," he replied, wringing his hands.

"Right, we'll go there first then. What's the name of their home again?" Siren asked, her wand tapping her leg as she tried to remember.

"The Burrow, Ma'am," Minky replied.

"Very well. We'll be Apparating to the Burrow. Cover our tracks. Oh, and keep an eye Bellatrix. Make sure she does not escape," Narcissa ordered.

Minky's eyes hardened and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Ma'am."

Without another word, Siren and Narcissa Apparated to the Burrow.

...

There was silence when Harry finished talking, and he looked up at the three sitting across from him, wondering what they would do.

"Right. We've got to get out of here. Too many people saw you on the street, and you're all over the Muggle newspapers as a wanted convict," Ginevra said, standing and heading to the kitchen.

Without a word, Draco and Blaise went to their bedroom to pack.

Harry was left sitting on the couch, unsure of what to do. He stood and went to the kitchen where Ginny was placing the easily preserved foods into containers.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't think. I should have stayed there," he said, his hand smacking the bench.

"No, you shouldn't have. If you had, you would be in Voldemort's clutches already and probably being tortured. You needed to escape, and Hermione and Ron made sure that you did. Don't throw that back in their faces by acting like a martyr, understood?" Ginevra said, glaring at him.

Harry nodded quickly. "Where are we going then?"

"The less you know, Potter, the better," Draco said, bringing two bags into the lounge. "Blaise is getting the books, love."

Ginevra nodded in response, closing the lids of the last few containers.

"They'll be all right. The Dark Lord would want to use them as hostages, so they'll be treated with more care than the others he's captured," Draco murmured, moving to Ginevra.

Harry reddened slightly as they kissed, and turned away. Blaise was standing there, watching his lovers with a hungry expression. Harry felt uncomfortable, as if he were intruding on something private, and didn't know where to look. Blaise noticed Harry's fidgeting hands and put the heavy bag down.

"Change into these, Potter. Be quick about it," Blaise said, throwing him a shirt and pair of pants.

"Why does he have to wear my clothes?" Draco muttered when Harry left.

"Because you're closer in size to Scarhead than I am. And I don't want him dirtying my clothing," Blaise said with a sneer.

"I'm going to have to burn those, dammit."

While Draco was whining about his precious clothes, Blaise snuck around him to take Ginevra in his arms, kissing her eagerly. Draco's words died when he noticed, and Blaise's lips curved into a smirk. Ginevra melted a bit into Draco when she felt him behind her, his hands on her hips as he kissed her neck. She kissed Blaise back, her arms around his waist as his hands joined Draco's on her hips. Ginevra let her worries disappear for the moment. Draco and Blaise always knew how to comfort her.

A gasp of surprise had them pulling apart reluctantly. Harry was standing in the kitchen doorway, his face bright red.

"S-sorry," he stammered, moving backwards quickly.

Ginevra sighed and left her lover's comforting embrace, taking the food bags to the lounge room.

"Give me your wand, Harry," she said, holding her hand out.

"Why? What do you need it for?" he asked, holding his wand to his chest protectively.

"I'm still on the Ministry's watch list, so I can't use my own wand. Blaise and Draco are missing, supposedly dead, so I can't use their either. That's not even your wand, so I doubt the Ministry will care about a few shrinking spells," she explained.

Harry nodded and handed the wand to Ginny quickly.

"What did you think she was going to do, Scarhead?" Draco drawled.

"Obliviate me," he murmured.

"Why on earth would I do that?" she asked with a laugh. "I have nothing to hide."

"Then why are you in Muggle London?" he retorted.

"I meant I don't have to hide my relationship from anyone, _Potter_," Ginevra replied testily. "I'm in Muggle London to stop from being killed, same as you," she added, glaring at him.

She put the shrunk bags into her handbag and headed to the door. Draco and Blaise followed her immediately. Harry hesitated for a moment and then went after them.

...

"Forge, we've got visitors!" George called, seeing the Ginevra's spoon on the clock.

"I know, Mum's just coming with them," Fred replied, seeing the three women heading to their store.

"Not Mum, it's Gin," he answered, frowning as he left the back.

"What are you talking about? They're right there," Fred said, heading into the back.

They bumped into each other, then continued to opposite places to see what the other was talking about. Fred saw Ginevra's spoon, and George saw Molly with two other women. Hurrying to the back, they met in the corridor.

"Gin! Where are you?" Fred called immediately, his voice quiet.

George hurried down the corridor to check the store room. Ginevra, Draco, Blaise, and to his surprise, Harry, were standing in the store room. "Found her. Go deal with Mum," he called to Fred.

"Got it," Fred said, a smile plastered on his face as he went to greet his mother and her two visitors.

George quietly led the four into the other room, not wanting any of their stock to be damaged.

"We're here to find out where Ginny and her boyfriends are, Fred. Don't think you can trick me, I know you have the clock," Molly was saying sternly.

"Please, I just want to know that my son's safe. My house elf left to find him and was killed, I need to know that he's all right," Siren said, her voice cracking.

Blaise clutched Draco and Ginevra's hands tightly.

"I haven't seen my son in almost a year. Please, just tell me where your sister is," Narcissa added.

Draco's grip on Blaise's hand tightened and he forced himself to stay where he was.

"I'll get the clock for you. Just stay here," Fred muttered.

He rounded the corner to find them all standing there - Harry Potter included.

"What are you doing here? Where's the others?" Fred hissed. He looked over to the clock and saw Ron's spoon was set to 'mortal peril'.

"Bollocks. Can't take that out to Mum, she'll die," George muttered.

"Who will die?" Molly asked. "Ginny?"

Ginevra's nails dug into Blaise's hand. They couldn't stay here. "Mum, I'm sorry."

"We've got to go," Blaise said quickly, his eyes locked on his mother's.

"Take care of yourself," Draco added, not looking away from Narcissa.

The three Disapparated before their mothers could move forward to grab them.

Narcissa and Siren sagged against each other, their feelings of relief, shock and disappointment too much to handle for the moment. Then Molly saw the clock.

"Ron? What's happened to my poor Ronnie-kins?"

Standing behind the twins, Harry coughed slightly and moved forward. "I know what's happened, Mrs. Weasley."

...

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Ginevra asked, looking around at the white beach in confusion.

"We're at my Italian Manor, on the private beach," Blaise said, seeing the Manor up on the hill.

"We can't be here, love. We have to go back," Ginevra said, sighing.

"I know," he replied with a sigh of his own.

"No. We **don't** have to go back. We can stay here! Wait until the war blows over and go back when Scarhead's won. We don't need to risk our lives. No one knows we're here, and no one will find us," Draco said, a plea in his tone.

"We've already been through this, Draco. We have to go back. I can't just sit back and wait for it to _blow over_. My brothers will be fighting in this war, my parents will be fighting, and so will my friends. I can't let them risk their lives if I have a chance to be there to save them," Ginevra replied.

"Who says you'll be able to save them? You might not be able to, and all you'll be doing is witnessing their death!"

"Even if I am there and see someone I love die, then it will be enough knowing that they knew I was there beside them. I'm going back, Draco. You can stay here if you want," she replied, turning away from him.

Draco sat on the sand, his back to Ginevra. With a sigh, Blaise went to Ginevra.

"He has a point, Ginevra. I don't like not fighting any more than you do, but if we did stay here, then I know you'd be safe. You'd be alive, we'd all be alive, and we can live here together. We won't have to worry about what people would say. We can be happy here, love, can't you see that?" Blaise asked quietly, taking her hand.

Ginevra _could_ see it. She could see the life they would have by staying here, and knew that she could be happy with it, with them. But even in the life she was imagining, Ginevra knew that she would still be worrying about her family, her friends, the war that was going on back home. She couldn't stay here with them.

"I need to go back, Blaise. Please, understand this," she said, looking up at him.

Blaise nodded, not looking pleased, but at least he did seem to understand. "Ill take you back to the twins," he murmured, kissing her briefly.

They both knew that Blaise couldn't leave Draco behind on his own.

"Goodbye Draco. I love you," Ginevra said.

He didn't reply. Trying to hold her emotions together, she turned to Blaise and took his hand. They disappeared with a small pop. Seeing that they were back in the store room at the twin's shop, Ginevra tried not to cry.

"Look after him for me, Blaise. Make sure he eats properly and doesn't overdo himself," she said, her voice trembling.

Blaise took Ginevra in his arms, kissing the top of her head before moving to kiss her lips. "That one was from Draco. He does love you, you know. He's just a stubborn git sometimes," he added, trying to make her smile. He was rewarded with a small smile and shook his head. He kissed her again, more passionately this time. "That was from me, love. We both know I'm the better kisser," he added, grinning.

Ginevra couldn't help but laugh. She held onto him, crying and kissing at the same time. "Be careful, Blaise. I'll miss you," she said sadly.

"I know. I'll miss you too, love. We'll find you when this war's over, all right? Just promise me something?"

She nodded, wondering what on earth he wanted her to promise.

"Don't get yourself killed. Draco might not want to fight, but he'll massacre everyone who even looked at you to get revenge," Blaise said.

"I can't promise not to get killed, Blaise! People will be _trying _to kill me," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, just promise not to put yourself in a situation where you'll definitely get killed. We can't survive without you, love," he replied, kissing her again.

She kissed him back intently, trying to give him all of her love. "Be safe," she murmured.

Blaise nodded and stepped back reluctantly. He Disapparated with a small pop.

A few seconds later, the store room door opened to reveal the twins. They saw their sister crying and without a word, enveloped her in a hug.

...

Blaise arrived at the Italian Manor's beach to find Draco sitting in the same position as before. He sighed heavily, his lips still tingling from Ginevra's kiss.

"Is she all right?" Draco asked, his voice hollow.

"Of course she's not. Come on, let's get inside," Blaise muttered, pulling Draco to his feet.

Blaise guided Draco up the hill, the Manor's front gate shimmering as they got closer to it. He passed through the shimmering metal, the gate solidifying once more behind him.

A house-elf was already waiting by the time they made it to the foyer.

"Master's bedroom has been set up," the house-elf said, taking the bag from him. "Would Master like this bag to be restored to its' original size?"

"Yes, please," he replied, Apparating with Draco to his bedroom.

Not even five seconds later, the house-elf appeared in the room, bags weighing him down.

"Take the food to the kitchen, leave the others here," Blaise instructed.

The house-elf bowed and did as he said.

Turning to Draco, who had been suspiciously quiet all this time, Blaise saw that he was close to sleep.

"Come on, love. Get into some pyjamas before you fall asleep in those. You're covered in sand," he muttered, sitting Draco up on the mattress.

He undressed him gently, Draco too exhausted to do it himself. Blaise dressed him in pyjamas and lay Draco back on the mattress carefully.

Unpacking the bags, Blaise wondered how he could convince Draco to go back to England. They couldn't leave Ginevra there alone.

In his sleep, Draco tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable without the usual presence of his lovers on either side of him.

...

End of the eleventh chapter.

Thank you for reading!

...


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** as usual, I own nothing to do with Harry Potter.

(a/n: thank you to those who read and reviewed, I appreciate it.

Read on, oh faithful ones...)

...

_Chapter Twelve_

...

"I am not staying in my room for the duration of this war, Mother! I came back so I could fight! You are **not** keeping me locked up!" Ginevra screamed.

The walls shook with her explosive words, magic wrapped in each raised syllable.

"I don't want you to be hurt, Ginny!" Molly said, her hand outstretched.

Ginevra moved back, away from her mother's reach. "I **am** fighting. I've been training for it, and I will not sit by while everyone else is fighting! It's the only reason I came back!"

Molly's hand dropped at her last sentence, the words sinking in. Ginny had left Draco and Blaise to fight, not to return to her family. And she meant it, every word. If there was no war, she would have stayed with them, wherever they were.

"I... I'm just scared, Ginny. I don't want to lose you," she added, her eyes flicking over to the empty spot on the wall that usually held the family clock. It was still in the twin's shop, and they'd refused to give it back. While Molly could understand why, it was killing her not knowing how her son was doing.

"I know you're scared, Mum, but I _have_ to fight. I have to protect who I love, even if they're not with me. You understand, don't you?" Ginevra asked, her voice calmer now.

Molly's eyes hardened slightly, knowing that she would do the exact same thing for Arthur. Although, she knew that Arthur would have been beside her. Having heard what Draco had gone through at Voldemort's hands - a tale pieced together and told to the three mother's by Ginny when she'd come back - she was more understanding of Draco's reluctance to return to fight.

"I understand... I'm not happy about it, Ginny, but I understand," she said, finally giving in.

"I love you, Mum," Ginevra whispered, wrapping her arms around her mother tightly. "I'll see you later tonight," she added, Flooing to the twins' shop before Molly could change her mind.

A sob racked Molly's body and she sank down onto her armchair to cry out her emotions.

...

Blaise looked over at Draco, trying not to let his misery show. Draco was doing enough of that for the both of them, and he had to be strong.

"She'll be back," Draco muttered to himself, for more than the tenth time that day.

"She can't come back, Draco. Ginevra doesn't know how to Apparate, and even if she did, you've made the ward settings so high it's difficult for the bloody house elves to get around!" Blaise said in frustration.

_So much for being the strong one_...

Draco stood stiffly and left without a word.

Blaise groaned in annoyance, but made no move to follow him. He knew that Draco would go straight to the armoury, and he had no desire to be on the receiving end of a sharp sword today. Calling for a house elf, he instructed the creature to ensure that Draco ate and drank something, before going up to his room to sleep.

...

Draco growled at the house elf, swinging his sword at the damned thing when it refused to leave.

"Master Draco must eat and drink! It is Master Blaise's orders!" the house elf said, trembling as Draco came ever closer. The pot of tea trembled on the tray in his large hands.

"Leave the tray, I'll eat without you staring at me, thank you very much," he sneered, making a shooing motion with the weapon.

The elf didn't seem pleased, but reluctantly set the tray on the floor and disappeared soundlessly.

Dropping to the floor, Draco picked at the sandwiches and drank a small amount of the tea. He was hungry, and especially thirsty after the workout he'd had, but his appetite lessened every time he closed his eyes. He couldn't stop thinking about Ginevra, her last words of love, the disappointment and sadness laced in every syllable. He felt sick at the thought of her fighting in the war, of her dying in the war, and he hadn't even said goodbye properly.

Swallowing the sandwich that had become a lump in his throat, Draco hurried to wash it down with some more tea before he choked. When he had composed himself enough, he stood once more and turned to fight with wand and sword against the dummy in the room.

...

Harry poked at his food, moving it around the plate with his fork when Molly looked over to him.

"Finished there, Harry? Let's go have a chat in the living room," Arthur said, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Nodding, Harry pushed his plate away and followed Arthur out of the kitchen. _He'd been waiting for this_.

"Sit down, there you go. Ease up a bit, Harry, it's not an inquisition," Arthur said, trying to smile. His expression fell flat as he looked to the empty spot where the clock usually hung, and with a slight cough, he moved to sit on the armchair next to the wireless.

Harry sat on the lounge across from him, but couldn't meet the older man's eyes. He answered all of his questions, trying to remember every minute detail that he could possibly dredge up from the depths of his mind.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley," he finished, looking at the floor.

"I thought you were told not to be a martyr?"

The drawl was unmistakable, and Harry's jaw dropped as he looked over to where Draco was standing with Blaise beside him.

"What, did you think we'd just suddenly appear in the middle of the battlefield to save Ginevra from a rogue spell, and then profess our undying love and run off into the sunset?" Draco asked, looking amused at Harry's expression.

"Would have been a more dramatic entry, but Draco's mood swings were scaring the house elves. We decided to come back before we starved to death," Blaise said, smirking.

"Starved to death? Oh, you poor boys. Come into the kitchen and sit down while I fix you something to eat," Molly fussed, basically dragging them away to the kitchen.

Harry could only stare after them, stunned.

...

Ginevra was tired. Her brothers had stopped all of their experiments in order to clear their workroom so it was better suited to practice fighting techniques.

She fought against both of them, longer and harder than she probably should have, but Ginevra had found that her thoughts returned to Draco and Blaise the moment she wasn't fighting. She didn't want to think about them too long, or else she'd leave the Burrow, leave the whole war behind and try to find them, Apparation license or not.

Smelling her mother's cooking the moment she stepped through the fireplace, Ginevra smiled briefly.

"Mum? I'm back," she called, taking off her robe and shoes. "Just going to have a quick shower and I'll be right down."

"Ginny? Can you come to the kitchen for a moment?" Molly called.

Frowning slightly, she headed to the kitchen warily. Seeing Draco and Blaise in the kitchen, Ginevra stopped short in the doorway, shocked. She didn't move to them automatically, as Harry thought she would have. Instead, she pointed her wand straight at them, seeming to be waiting for something.

Draco and Blaise walked to her, but Ginevra continued to keep her wand pointed at them, her eyes distrusting.

"Well, we're not going to say it in front of your parents, are we?" Draco muttered, closing the distance and whispering something in her ear.

Blaise did the same, their arms wrapped around her waist as her hand dropped to her side, her wand held limply in her grasp.

"Oh, you bastards. Why did you let me leave?" Ginevra murmured, kissing them in turn.

"Why did you let us stay?" Draco countered, his hands touching her as if she wasn't sure she really was standing in front of them.

"Ginny, dear? I think it would be best if you showed Draco and Blaise to your room, and then you can have your shower and dinner," Molly said.

Arthur seemed surprised at her words. (Molly told him later that she'd silenced Ginny's room moments after the boys had arrived. While she might have wanted to assume that her daughter was still a virgin, Molly had seen the looks on their faces when they'd rescued her from the garden shed. Besides, she had been a year younger when _they'd_ first had sex, and only a year older when she'd had Bill.)

Ginevra took their hands, leading Draco and Blaise upstairs. She wasn't going to argue with her mother on letting them stay in her room, but Ginevra was thankful she'd said it in a way that wouldn't make it embarrassing for all of them.

Again, Harry found that all he could do was stare, long after the three of them had gone.

...

"Good morning, boys," Molly said cheerfully when Draco and Blaise entered the kitchen.

Despite offering dinner, her daughter and her boyfriends had stayed in their room all night. Worried when they didn't show for the meal, Molly had sent Arthur upstairs to check, and he'd returned saying that they were all fast asleep. In light of this, Molly had cooked a bit of extra food, certain that they'd be hungry.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," Blaise and Draco replied, staring at the food strewn across the table.

"Sit down, eat," she said with a smile.

Somewhat stunned into doing so, both of them sat down.

"Morning, Mum. I'm taking Draco and Blaise to the twins' later, so we won't need lunch," Ginevra said as she came in. "I'm not sure about dinner either," she added, seeing the table.

"I thought you'd be hungry after sleeping for so long, and then I realised that I didn't know your favourite breakfast foods, so I just made everything," Molly said, close to wringing the tea towel in her hands.

Draco and Blaise looked to each other briefly, understanding that this was Molly's way of apologising and thanking them, and simply her motherly nature worrying over them.

"It looks lovely, Mrs. Weasley," Draco said with a charming smile.

"Tastes good too," Blaise said, grinning as he chewed some bacon and toast.

Looking relieved, Molly turned to get glasses and drinks for them.

"So why are we going to the twins' shop?" Draco asked Ginevra with a frown as he slowly started on his breakfast.

"I've organised to meet both of your mothers there. It's the safest place at the moment, and the easiest place to leave if we need to," Ginevra replied.

There was a smash of glass as Molly dropped a glass at her words. "Oh, my. Sorry," she murmured quickly, cleaning it up with her wand. "You... you'd really leave so soon?" she asked hesitantly, looking at her daughter.

"If I have to, then yes, I will. I refuse to put you in danger simply by being here, Mum," she said, trying to make her understand and not look so hurt.

"I understand," Molly said, smiling to try and reassure her.

With Ron being the gods' knew where, probably tortured every hour of every day, it was hard for Molly to let go of her daughter so easily.

"Just... be careful, okay?" she said softly.

"I will, Mum. Draco and Blaise will look after me too," she added, taking their hands in her own and squeezing gently. Turning her attention to breakfast, Ginevra smiled at her mother and filled her plate quickly.

Harry stumbled down into the kitchen, his hair sticking up everywhere. He stared at the food, much as Draco and Blaise had done, and thanked Molly profusely before sitting to eat.

...

"Oh, gods. If I never see a plate of food again, it'll be too soon."

The groan was made in good nature, but Ginevra noticed that Draco did look a little queasy.

"I think Molly should cook for the Death Eaters; not one of them would be able to get up and fight afterwards."

"Ah, we see you've sampled our mother's breakfast. Hope you've left enough room for lunch!" Fred and George said, cackling when all three groaned in protest.

Leading Draco and Blaise over to the lounge, Ginevra collapsed between them on it, her eyes closed.

The store front's bell tinkled gently, and then loud tango music began to blare from the tiny bell.

"That's our cue," Fred and George said, tangoing their way out to the front of the shop.

"When did they learn how to tango?" Blaise asked with a chuckle.

"And why is George leading?"

Ginevra just smiled and shook her head. It was good to be with Draco and Blaise again, and she squeezed their hands gently, resting her head on Blaise's shoulder, her feet on Draco's lap.

Looking at each other over her head, Blaise and Draco wondered at her actions, but decided not to ask. For now, they were content to just be with her.

By the time Fred and George finished with the customers and looked in the back room, all three were fast asleep on the couch.

...

"I can't believe you'd just leave like that, without any warning whatsoever! I was worried sick about you, and when Kerry came home covered in blood, do you have any idea what I was feeling?"

Blaise winced slightly at his mother's tone, but he still bristled at her words. "I didn't exactly have time to write a note when Bellatrix Lestrange was knocking me unconscious, Mother."

Ginevra noticed a look pass between the two matriarchs, and wondered exactly had happened to Bellatrix.

"And as to leaving without any warning; it's what we were trying to do! We didn't want anyone following us. Besides, I didn't think you'd worry; you didn't last time," he said, shrugging.

"You left for three days, and you were with Draco. I knew that before you disappeared. This time, Draco was presumed dead, and I had no idea what You-Know-Who would do to get your allegiance! He could have taken you, tortured and killed you if you'd refused him, and I wouldn't have known!"

Her voice cracked slightly, and Blaise's grip on Ginevra's hand tightened slightly as he wrestled with his guilt.

"You should eat more, Draco. You haven't touched your plate," Narcissa said, frowning at her son.

Draco looked down at the tiny cupcakes on his plate, and wondered if the twins had made them so small because they knew how much food Molly would give them, or if there was some weird spell on it that would shrink him.

"I'm not very hungry at the moment, Mother," he replied listlessly, pushing the plate forward.

Fred and George made exaggerated noises of disappointment.

"After we slaved over a tiny oven?"

"Do you know how hard it is to make cupcakes that tiny?"

"And the tiny icing tube kept breaking..."

"The icing got everywhere..."

"It was a right old mess..."

"And you're refusing to partake in our delicious food?" they finished together.

Ginevra slumped slightly, glaring at them. "I have a migraine and a stomach ache, stop fussing about like that. You'll make them sick."

"Why, I never!" George exclaimed loudly.

"I never, indeed!"

Thankfully, the bell started to ring. It was music for a conga this time, and the twins sang loudly and incoherently as they did a conga line out to the front of the store. Somehow, they managed to make it look entertaining with just the two of them.

Ginevra shut and locked the door behind them with a spell, just for peace of mind. She turned back, and was somewhat glad to see that both Narcissa and Siren had finished their monologues towards their sons.

Draco and Blaise immediately took her hands as Ginevra sat down between them once more, and she sighed softly, relieved once more that they were with her.

"When will you be returning to the Manor?" Narcissa asked Draco.

"While this war is going, I will not be returning to the Manor, Mother. You know that it is too dangerous for me to go back while _He_ has power over Father," Draco replied. He didn't wait for an answer, and continued, "Besides, I may not choose to return after the war is over either. I've become rather fond of living with Ginevra and Blaise, and have no desire to leave them," he said.

His words were simple, but Ginevra could feel the tremble in his hands, and Blaise saw the vulnerability and fear in his eyes.

"We feel the same, love," Ginevra said immediately, Blaise nodding quickly.

"Damn right we do," he added, grinning. "It was absolute torture not being together," Blaise murmured, nuzzling Ginevra's neck as he winked at Draco.

A cough came from across from them, and Blaise pulled away reluctantly. Ginevra was red and couldn't look either woman in the eye.

"I presume that there will be a marriage proposal involved?" Siren asked, looking between them.

"You will need to find somewhere to live, of course, once you are married."

"And you'll probably need to cross the border in order to marry two people. The laws here, while flexible, are not _that_ open," Siren added briefly.

The grip that Ginevra had on Blaise and Draco's hands was almost enough to break their bones, and she'd gone a deathly white.

"We have no plans on marrying as of yet, Mother. And you should not push us into something that we do not want, nor require," Blaise said smoothly. Beneath the table, his free hand was caressing Ginevra's leg, slowly soothing her.

"We may leave the country all together if we feel pressured in any way. If we decide to get married, then it will be our decision, and at a time we choose," Draco added. Like Blaise, his hand was stroking Ginevra to calm her.

"As to where we will live, that will also be up to us," Blaise said, a warning in his tone and face.

Their words and expressions were enough to make the two mothers back down, their arguments dying in their throats.

"Very well then," Narcissa said primly. "Let me know when you've moved so I can send the appropriate gift."

"As with me," Siren said.

Both Draco and Blaise nodded. They glanced to Ginevra, who was still pale, but seemed to be relaxing finally.

"I have been out for far too long, and as you've said He Who Must Not Be Named is watching the Manor. I will leave you now. Do not be a stranger, my dear. I would like to know you better," Narcissa murmured to Ginevra, kissing her cheek.

Siren echoed her words, Disapparating moments after her friend had.

By the time Fred and George finished with their customer and managed to get past the spell on the door, Ginevra had all but collapsed into Draco and Blaise's arms, looking and feeling emotionally exhausted.

Draco and Blaise had said crisp goodbyes, taking Ginevra back to the Burrow to rest, leaving the twins wondering exactly what had happened, and if their tiny cupcakes had anything to do with it...

...

Molly was worried about her daughter and her boyfriends. They'd come back from the twins' shop, looking pale and exhausted. She'd sent them upstairs to sleep it off as soon as she saw their expressions. When they'd gone, Molly had firecalled Fred and George to get an explanation as to their exhaustion. The twins had little to offer, but seemed to think that Blaise and Draco's mothers had both given them a right talking to for leaving the country the way they had.

She could understand their worry easily enough - she had worried relentlessly for her family while in that blasted cage and as Bellatrix's captive - but Molly wondered if something more had been said or done while the twins were not in the room with them. It was unusual to see her Ginny so terrified thesedays, especially with Draco and Blaise beside her.

Those two - while they had probably not been Molly's first choice for her daughter - seemed to calm Ginny, and it was obvious that they loved her as much as she did them. If Molly had been witnessed any less from them, she would have thrown them out on the street the moment they'd entered the Burrow, no matter if Voldemort himself was looking for them.

Looking at the boiling stew in front of her, Molly adjusted the temperature on the magically altered stove. It was with a heavy heart, and impending sense of trepidation, that Molly went upstairs to check on her daughter. Dinner was almost ready to be served, and she had the feeling that she would only need three bowls rather than six.

Knocking on the door, Molly waited a moment, listening carefully. There was no answer, and her knock echoed in the silence. Opening the door to the room, she wasn't surprised to find it empty. Molly walked to Ginny's dresser to where an envelope waited, and sat on the bed to read the words inside.

...

End of the twelfth chapter.

Thank you for reading!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

(a/n: _Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate it!_

_Read on, oh faithful ones!_)

...

Chapter Thirteen

...

Ginevra swung the sword, a hex on her lips mere seconds later. Draco blocked the hex, his own sword swinging up to clash and block hers. There was a brief struggle, her strength and power against his, and just before she succumbed to his strength, Ginevra spun away, the sudden loss of force making Draco fall forward. Within moments, her sword was on his neck, and Ginevra grinned at Draco.

"That's the fourth win for me. Ready to give in?"

"I've still won three times; I can win this," he replied, straightening and facing her.

"I think you should just bow out gracefully while you still can," Blaise said, smirking as he came into the room.

Draco grinned slightly and attacked Blaise, his sword and wand at the ready. Blaise stepped aside a moment too slow, resulting in a hex singeing his shirt.

"This is my favourite shirt, you absolute wanker!" he yelled, glaring at him.

Dropping the sword, Draco feigned an apologetic look. "Oh, I'm ever so sorry, love. How can I make it up to you?" he drawled, advancing on Blaise with a smirk. He pushed Blaise up against the wall, his lips on his and his hands on his waist.

"You two are going to be killed if you start snogging in the middle of the battlefield," Ginevra said, leaning on her sword with a sigh.

"No, we won't," Draco said between kisses. "We'll make everyone so horny that they'll stop to watch," he added, smirking as he looked over at her.

There was a low growl from Blaise, and before he knew what happened, Draco was flat on his back, Blaise's body pinning him down on the floor.

"You're buying me three new shirts to make up for this one, understood?" Blaise asked.

"Of course. Do you need anything else?" Draco asked, hitching his hips beneath Blaise.

"No, that's all." Despite his words, it took a lot of willpower for Blaise to stand up.

"Any time you want to get back to fighting is fine by me. Really," Ginevra said sarcastically, looking down at Draco on the floor.

"Oh, okay then," Draco replied, crossing his arms beneath his head and closing his eyes. "Wake me in an hour and we'll start fighting again."

"Insufferable git," Ginevra muttered, glowering down at him.

Draco just smirked, pretending not to feel her intense gaze. Ginevra left a moment later, muttering loudly about Draco.

"She's gone now, you can get up," Blaise said.

Opening one eye briefly, he smirked up at him. "You could come down here instead."

"Ginevra's right, you know. You really are an insufferable git."

"You still love me."

"Always," he replied, sinking to his knees beside him. Blaise stroked his hair gently, cupping his face and kissing him eagerly.

Draco grinned beneath his kiss, his fingers unbuttoning Blaise's shirt quickly, lifting his hips against his.

...

Even three corridors down, Ginevra could still hear their lust-driven screams and moans. She desperately wanted to be there with them, her mouth on Draco's, her hands on Blaise, both of them taking her to the edge until she fell with their names on her lips.

Ever since meeting with their mothers, she'd been distant, and they all knew it. She had put all of her energy into fighting; spells and swords all that she allowed herself to think of. The idea of marriage wasn't frightening in itself, but of being told what to do, when to do it, and that she _had_ to be married, have children, without Ginevra choosing or deciding for herself, _that_ was what terrified her. Draco and Blaise had some idea of her emotions, and they didn't like being told what to do themselves. Blaise's refusal to accept the Dark Mark, and Draco's eventual escape and refusal to follow the Dark Lord's orders were both a testament to that.

Opening the back door, Ginevra stepped outside, intending on getting as far away from Draco and Blaise's loud sex-driven sounds as possible. They'd decided to come back to the Italian Manor, only telling Fred and George how to contact them so they could fight. Ginevra had been adamant about still fighting in the war, and at the risk of losing her again, Draco and Blaise had agreed to be by her side. While they weren't happy about fighting, they didn't want her to be unprepared, and both Draco and Blaise had started to help her train. Not all of their training sessions ended in sex, but they did always seem to sleep off their exhaustion curled up around each other on the mat in the training room. Ginevra wasn't entirely sure she minded that at all.

Making her way down to the ocean, Ginevra took her shoes off, sitting on the sand with her feet in the water. She closed her eyes, breathing in time with the waves against her legs, clearing her mind of all thoughts. Ginevra stayed that way for some time, only opening her eyes when the sun started to set in the horizon.

Blaise walked along the cooling sand, sitting beside Ginevra silently. He had worn Draco out an hour or two ago, and then spent the remaining time thinking about Ginevra, and how she no longer met their gaze, how she left the moment they started anything remotely sexual, and how she was so terrified that they'd somehow make her marry them and have an endless amount of babies that she'd even stopped calling them by their names.

A moment later, Blaise was surprised when Ginevra rested her head on his shoulder. He restrained himself from doing anything else and frightening her away.

"Sorry I've been so distant," she murmured quietly, so much so that Blaise almost missed her words.

"Nothing to apologise for, Gin. We understand," he replied.

"I know you do... I'm glad to be here with both of you, you know that, right?"

"Of course. We wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"Speak for yourself. There's a lovely little village in the south of France that has the best pastries. I'd rather be there... But still with you two," Draco said, smirking down at them. "If you think Blaise tastes good now, wait until he's covered in eclairs," he added, winking at Ginevra.

"Do you think about anything other than food or sex?" she asked with a laugh.

"Of course I do," he replied indignantly. "I think about Quidditch."

"Which you _still_ haven't played against Ginevra. I think you're afraid of losing," Blaise taunted.

"Oh, I'm terrified, actually," he drawled sarcastically. "Come on, let's go play a game of wizard's chess, and in the morning, I'll beat you at Quidditch," Draco said, grinning.

"That's what you think," Ginevra muttered, standing and brushing the sand off her robes.

"There's too much sand on those robes, Gin. I say you just give up and get naked instead."

She shook her head at him, heading inside to set up the chess board, moving past Draco with as much space between them as possible.

Blaise glowered at Draco briefly. "If you've set her back in any way, I'll hex your broomstick to smithereens."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Just try me, Draco... Ginevra's still scared that we're going to drag her back to England and make her marry us and have a ridiculous amount of babies. She's not going to want to do anything that'll make that even more of a possibility, and your comments aren't helping."

"You looked fairly cosy with her just now."

"She was resting her head on me, that's all. There was enough space between us for your skinny arse to fit!"

Draco looked ashamed for a moment, looking the way Ginevra had gone. He sighed heavily, turning back to Blaise. "I'm sorry. I'll try to keep it clean, okay?"

"Yeah, just think about food and Quidditch."

They grinned at each other, heading back into the Manor where Ginevra was waiting.

...

Fred and George boarded their shop up tightly, both uncharacteristically silent as they did so. One held the board up while the other did the appropriate spell, and then they swapped. Within twenty minutes, every opening, window, door, and all but one fireplace had been boarded up. They remembered a similar thing at Harry's relatives home, when their father had blasted the boards in order to get into the Dursley house, and the twins wondered who the Dursley's were hiding from.

"It won't hold them for long," George muttered with a slight frown.

"Hopefully it'll be long enough. At least the booby traps will stop them for a while longer," Fred replied, his eyes glancing to the spelled shelves around them.

"Think Gin'll mind if we arrive out of the blue like this?" George asked.

"We're her favourite brothers, of course she won't."

George just shook his head briefly, stepping back into the open fireplace. Fred was beside him a moment later, and they hurried to board up the opening from the inside. When it was done, Fred lit the fire, George immediately throwing a handful of Floo Powder from his pocket. When his twin had disappeared, George quickly followed, the fire becoming hot. On his arrival, George quickly stamped out the flames that had caught on his robes.

"All right there, Gred?" Fred asked.

"Better now, Forge," he replied with a brief nod.

"You sure this is the right place?" Fred asked, on seeing their surroundings.

"Should be right; we followed Gin's instructions to the letter," George replied, though he was worried as well.

After hearing something about sand and waves, they'd both assumed that Ginevra, Draco, and Blaise were going somewhere that had an ocean nearby. George and Fred were currently standing in a foyer of what they presumed to be a small house, and they could see a forest out of the only window in the room.

There was a loud pop, and they turned to face the noise, their wands drawn. A house elf stood there, looking as suspicious of the twins as they were of it. Then the house elf gave a small bow, surprising Fred and George.

"You pose no threat to the Zabini family. Messrs. Weasley, please follow me," the house elf said, leading them through the small house to a hidden back room.

"What would you have done..." George began.

"If we did pose a threat to the Zabini family?" Fred finished.

"Dealt with you accordingly," the house elf replied, opening the back door.

Somehow, the four words made both wizards shudder, and they stepped through the open door quickly. A warm rush of air met them, the sound of the ocean reaching them easily.

"Head down the path and when you reach the gate, knock three times with your wand. I will send word ahead of your arrival. Do not forget: stay on the path," the house elf added.

George looped his arm with Fred's, ensuring that his brother wouldn't let his curiosity overcome him.

"Thank you," he called over his shoulder, pulling Fred along.

"What do you think's off the path?" Fred asked as they walked between the thinning trees.

"After that house elf, do you really want to find out?"

Fred's fear and curiosity warred in him, and he eventually sighed heavily. "I guess not. That little guy was scary. Maybe we should send him against the Death Eaters."

George snickered. "You think they'll run at the sight of one house elf?"

"They will after he starts killing them all for going anywhere near Blaise," Fred said, grinning.

"So we're kidnapping the house elf, and putting Blaise in danger so the house elf will protect us?"

"Yes... Although, the whole putting Blaise in danger part may make the house elf hurt us instead."

"Forget about the house elf, _Ginevra_ will hurt us."

"I don't like this plan anymore, Gred."

George shook his head with a slight grin. "Then we won't discuss it anymore, shall we?"

"Okay," Fred replied meekly.

They were silent until they reached the gate to the Italian Manor. Staring at the looming gate before them, all black steel and a large Z in fancy script sitting in the middle, Fred and George hurried to raise their wands, knocking three times.

Ginevra hurried out, Draco and Blaise only moments behind her. Above them, the large Z from the gate disappeared, allowing the gate to open. Fred and George hurried to step through, the gate clanging shut and the Z reappearing in a quick swirl.

"Are you all right?" Ginevra asked, hugging them to her.

"Been better," they admitted.

"We can see that," Draco drawled, looking at the sorry state of their robes.

Fred laughed sourly, swaying on his feet. George hurried to hold his twin up, trying not to worry when his hand squished against his robe, the material stained with blood. Ginevra frowned, stepping forward when she saw the pool of blood that was starting to form beneath them.

"Dear Merlin, I didn't realise it was that bad. Get inside, quick," Blaise said, hurrying over to help George hold Fred.

The moment they were inside, he called for a house elf. One appeared immediately, using it's magic to take Fred and George upstairs. Unable to Apparate, and unable to use their magic anyway for fear of detection, Draco, Blaise and Ginevra ran up the foyer's staircase to the room the twins and house elf had disappeared to. By the time they arrived, Fred's robes and shirt had been discarded, the house elf silent as he worked to heal the various wounds and gouges on Fred's body.

"He'll be all right," Ginevra promised her brother, stepping forward to hold George's hand in her own.

He simply nodded, not taking his gaze away from his brother.

Later that night, after Fred had been deemed to survive by the house elf and George had collapsed onto the bed beside him, Ginevra had gone to bed with Draco and Blaise. Unlike previous nights, where she'd cocooned herself in a sheet so tightly that she could barely move, Ginevra had moved closer to Draco's chest, letting him wrap an arm around her body as they slept. From the other side of Draco, Blaise slung his arm around them as well, his hand resting on Ginevra's waist. For the first time in days, all three slept soundly.

...

End of the thirteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with Harry Potter.

(a/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and to those who didn't, I hope you enjoyed the story.)

_Read on, oh faithful ones_!

...

Chapter Fourteen

...

Ginevra, Draco and Blaise had waited all day for an explanation as to Fred's bodily state, and the various welts and singes on George. Fred had slept for most of the day, and they'd called the house elf more than once to ensure that he really was all right and would survive. Waking some time after lunch, Fred and George had decided that food was more important than their story. After stuffing themselves with food, the twins declared that they needed to sleep off their over-eating, and only reappeared when dinner was ready. Now that dinner was finished, Ginevra, Draco and Blaise had cornered the twins in their room, and demanded answers.

"Voldemort isn't a fan of our radio show, it seems," George said with a brief grin.

On the bed, his body bandaged and stiff, Fred chuckled. "I still think it's because of the Voldie-poo parody we did of him."

"Yeah, one of the Death Eaters actually said something about that show when he tried to hex us."

"Speak for yourself; he bloody well **did** hex me!"

"You were attacked in the middle of Diagon Alley in broad daylight over a radio show? Honestly, is He that desperate to attack people?" Blaise asked incredulously.

"Well, not just that," the twins said in unison.

George sighed heavily. "After you three left, the Order claimed that the Burrow wasn't safe enough for the Chosen One to reside in, and he moved in with us."

"Someone's got to be leaking information; the Order were the only ones who knew about that," Fred muttered.

"We were attacked on our way back to the apartment," George added.

"We tried Flooing and Apparating there, but it was blocked."

"We have no idea what's happened to Harry."

"But we think that he's been taken by the Death Eaters," Fred said in worry.

"And Dad called earlier in the day to say that Mum was going to visit Harry to bring him food."

"Mum reckons we can't cook or fend for ourselves," Fred muttered, shaking his head.

Ginevra chose not to comment on how often they were at the Burrow for dinner, and just how much food they took home with them.

"So there's a possibility Mum's been taken by the Death Eaters too," they finished.

"I don't know about that," Draco said with a wry grin. "Your mother was very determined to not be taken by Death Eaters again."

"Yeah, when we got back, she was cooking in the kitchen and muttering about things that Bellatrix had moved around, using some very choice words, I might add," Blaise said, grinning. "And she said more than once how she'd like to get her hands on a few Death Eaters' throats."

"It was actually quite scary to watch," Draco muttered.

"We can imagine," the twins chorused, shaking their heads.

"How are we going to check on Mum? And just how are we going to find out about the war?" Ginevra asked, getting up and pacing. "We're going to have to go back to England, aren't we?"

"Settle down, dear sister," George said, standing and guiding her to a seat once more.

"We've organised for Neville to tell us about the war," Fred said. "He'll contact us when we need to be fighting."

"Neville? As in _Longbottom_?" Draco asked, scoffing at the very idea.

"Yes," they replied seriously, nodding.

"Honestly, mate, Neville's got it all sorted. He's running the DA now, and giving the Death Eaters hell," George said proudly.

"We taught him everything he knows," Fred said, his hand to his chest as he sniffed away tears.

"All right, enough melodramatics, you two. You have to take medicine and rest, and you look positively dead on your feet," Ginevra said to Fred and George respectively.

"Is it possible to look negatively dead on your feet?" George whispered loudly to his twin.

"No idea, but you might want to do what she says," Fred said quickly, seeing the unimpressed look on Ginevra's face.

He took the offered goblet of vile smelling medicine, and ignoring the liquid that he was sure was moving, he gulped it down in one large motion. Closing his eyes tightly, Fred forced himself to count to ten before opening them again. Thanking his sister with a nod, he took the water and drank slowly.

"All right, I'm getting to bed. No need to be pushy, sister dearest," George muttered, slipping under the covers before Ginevra decided to hex him onto the bed permanently.

"I've been asleep all day, I seriously doubt I'm going to be able to sleep now," Fred said, even as he started to yawn.

"The skin regrowth potion includes sedative ingredients so you'll sleep and let your body heal without scratching. You're going to be out like a light until tomorrow for breakfast," Blaise informed him, grinning slightly.

"Just how many times have you had the potion to know that?" George asked with a chuckle.

"I wasn't always a confident flyer, so a lot," he replied. "Of course, my nerves weren't helped with the horror stories my mother told me about flying and Quidditch. I think she just wanted my feet to be permanently on the ground," Blaise said, smirking.

"As she should! S'meone as pretty as you sh-shouldn't be painfulled," Fred slurred, his eyes closing as he fell asleep.

"Fast potion," George commented, shaking his head. "G'night."

"Good night, George. Sleep well," Ginevra said, kissing his cheek.

"Night," Draco and Blaise said, leaving with her between them.

The light switched off and George closed his eyes to sleep, feeling as exhausted as he looked.

...

Harry looked at Molly, his eyes wide with fear as he realised that the apartment was surrounded by Death Eaters. She was unable to Apparate, the fireplace had been blocked off, and they were essentially trapped.

"Don't you worry, dear. I won't let them take you. Now, help me move this bookcase," Molly said, using her wand to take large tomes entitled _Pranks for Pranksters_ off the shelves to make the piece of furniture lighter.

Surprised, Harry hurried to help her manually, wondering if now was really the best time to be rearranging furniture. He moved the bookcase when it was light enough, and was stunned to see an arch hidden behind it.

"I helped them choose this place; I knew they'd cover the second level up and use it as a secret passage," Molly said, chuckling slightly.

"I thought they were only in one apartment?"

"Oh, they live together in one, but they actually rented one each. The landlord agreed to lessen the rent since they both signed 2 year contracts. Smart woman... Now, you go in first Harry. I'll set the books back up and close the bookcase behind us," she said, nudging him towards the small space.

Harry frowned slightly. He knew that Mrs. Weasley had lost weight, but he doubted she'd fit into the gap he'd made. She saw the hesitation on his face, and pushed him into the small alcove. Falling onto his knees, Harry bit back a curse of pain at the hard stairs that his knees had connected with. Before he could stand and push the bookcase out further for her, Molly pushed it closed entirely, a quick spell replacing all of the books.

"There's a fireplace upstairs. Floo home, and firecall Minerva immediately. There has to be a leak in the Order."

"But... no! I can't leave you! I'm _not_ leaving you! Mrs. Weasley! Open the bookcase!" he yelled, banging on the back of the wooden structure loudly.

"Get upstairs right now, Harry Potter, or so help me, I will _never_ cook treacle tart for you again. Alert the Order and that way you'll be helping me. Understood? Now, go!"

Much like Hermione's order, Molly's had the same effect, and he hurried up the stairs, trying to keep his steps quiet. His stolen wand had the fireplace lighting up, and a handful of Floo powder turned the flames green. Before he could step into the flames, Harry heard the door crash downstairs, hexes immediately following the noise.

Stepping into the fireplace, he Flooed to the Burrow, and quickly contacted McGonagall, telling her about the attack and that someone was leaking information to Voldemort. She paled, and he was certain that he saw more grey hairs than she'd had at the last Order meeting. McGonagall told him that she'd have the Order help Molly immediately and closed the grate. Harry paced the Burrow, worrying endlessly and feeling completely helpless.

He was nothing but a liability; no matter who he was with, they were always attacked or hurt or captured and tortured because of him. _It was all his fault_! Dropping to his knees, his scar burned and Harry was pulled into Voldemort's mind.

He was attacking Hogwarts, and army of thousands of Death Eaters behind him, thousands of men and women to fight against hundreds of children and maybe twenty adults. Beside Voldemort, Hermione and Ron were caged, both of them unconscious and watched by a vigilant Nagini. Voldemort had the Elder Wand, and there was still a Horcrux to be found. _It was too soon, far too soon! Everyone at Hogwarts would die and it would be __**all his fault!**_

Harry came out of the vision with a gasp, his body trembling and covered in sweat. He realised that his fingers were digging into his skull and his throat was raw, as if he'd been screaming.

_Ron... Hermione... He had to get them. He had to save them. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, he wouldn't let his friends die_.

Standing on his feet unsteadily, Harry went to the fireplace and Flooed before he lost his resolve or lunch. With his friends in mind, he Flooed to the Hog's Head, the place where they'd had their first DA meeting. Harry just hoped that he'd be able to get to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade without being seen by any of the Death Eaters that patrolled the student weekends.

...

"Wotcher Molly. Heard you needed help," Tonks said, grinning at her as she stepped over the fallen Death Eaters. "Had a fight with Arthur, have you?" she asked, seeing the group of Death Eaters collapsed and unconscious in the doorway.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, her chest heaving, Molly shook her head in confusion.

"Well _something_ must've happened to make you **that** angry," Tonks muttered, indicating to a singed and smoking Death Eater.

"Bellatrix had me in a cage for three months; I think my anger is justified. Plus, she ruined my kitchen," Molly muttered. "Not to mention, they have Ron, and my daughter's on the run so these bloody bastards won't find her!"

"All right, all right. Calm down. I'm sorry," Tonks said in alarm as Molly's grip on her wand tightened. "You've every right to be angry."

"I definitely do... So, Harry contacted Minerva then?"

"Yes, he did. Where is he?" Lupin asked, using his wand to round up the Death Eaters and tie them together.

"At the Burrow. I sent him away before the Death Eaters broke in. I didn't want him getting captured as well," Molly said firmly.

"Kingsley just checked there; no one's at the Burrow," Lupin replied, frowning.

"You ... you don't think Death Eaters were waiting for him at the Burrow, do you?" Tonks asked, chewing her lip anxiously.

"No. Arthur's set the wards so high that it's difficult for even him to get to the house. He's been trekking across the Lovegood property for weeks now," Molly muttered. "He must have Flooed out. I'll firecall Arthur and have him check the log."

"We've restored the fireplace to its original setting, so it should be working," Lupin hurried to say when she looked to them impatiently.

Nodding briefly, Molly went over to the fireplace. Behind her, Tonks raised her eyebrows slightly, grinning at her husband. Shaking his head with a smile, Lupin kissed her briefly and resumed his task of gathering the unconscious Death Eaters.

...

Neville made his way along the underground passage, his wand lit and held to his left side. His right eye was swollen shut and he could barely see out of it; the latest punishment from the Carrows after stealing the Gryffindor sword from Snape's office.

Snape had been called away from his office in a rare opportunity, and it hadn't taken Neville long to get Seamus, Luna and the Creevey brothers to help him sneak inside. It had taken more time than he'd thought it would. Even as he broke the glass cabinet the sword was housed in, Neville kept expecting Snape to walk in at any moment and give them all detention for the rest of their natural born lives. But he'd managed to steal it, hiding the sword in the folds of his robe as Dennis and Colin checked to see if the coast was clear. Exactly five minutes after they'd left Snape's office, the alarm sounded. He'd thought it odd at the time, as Snape had been called to the dungeons, which were a good ten minutes away from his office, but Neville had dismissed the thought eventually, too busy trying to evade the Carrow siblings to dwell on his good fortune.

Opening the portrait before him, he jumped out onto the floor of the Hog's Head. Greeting Aberforth warmly, Neville asked what had been so urgent to get him out of bed at three in the morning. The older man didn't answer, just gave a grim smile and nodded to a corner table. Looking over, Neville's eyes widened when he saw Harry sitting there, a mug of Butterbeer in his hands, still full to the brim.

"He's not paid for that yet," Aberforth muttered as Neville started to go over to the table.

"You really think he has any money left on him, Aberforth?" he asked, shaking his head. "Did ... did he come in with anyone?" Neville asked hesitantly.

"No, he was completely alone when he Flooed in a couple hours ago and hasn't moved from that seat since. He's been scaring my goats," he muttered in reply.

Sighing softly, Neville nodded and went to Harry's table. "Wouldn't drink that if I were you, Harry," he said, grinning briefly.

"N-Neville?" Harry asked incredulously. "What happened to your eye?"

"Carrow siblings have changed the way detention's done. A lot's changed since you left," Neville admitted, sliding onto the seat across from him. Seeing that Harry wasn't going to drink his Butterbeer, Neville swiped it from him, drinking it in one long swig.

"Thought you wouldn't drink it if you were me?" Harry asked, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I'm not you, am I, Mr. Chosen One?" he asked with a chuckle. "What's happened with you, Harry? There's rumours and gossip every which way, but no one seems to know the truth. Where are Hermione and Ron? And did you know that Malfoy's _dead_?"

"He's not," Harry muttered.

"What?"

"Not here... Is there anyplace we can talk in private?"

Glancing around the empty bar, Neville shrugged to himself and stood. "Sure, come on, I'll take you back to the Gryffindor Common Room."

Harry nodded quickly, thoughts of saving Ron and Hermione at the front of his mind. He thanked Aberforth for the Butterbeer, promised to bequeath him the money if he died, and left with Neville to go back to Hogwarts.

...

End of the fourteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with Harry Potter.

(a/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and to those who didn't, I hope you enjoyed the story.)

_Read on, oh faithful ones_!

...

Chapter Fifteen

...

_Things certainly had changed since he'd left Hogwarts_, Harry mused. While people looked up to him like he was some sort of hero, it was nothing but living on a pedestal compared to the attention Neville received. He helped everyone, no matter what House or year. He helped the smallest first years, whispering of times when this school had been gentle and most of the Professors kind, right up to his fellow seventh years, telling them how to perform skin numbing spells before their detention, and to always face the Carrows so they knew when to cry out in pain.

Neville patched people up with bandages and herbs derived from his plants. Nearly everything in the greenhouse now had some sort of healing property, and while Professor Sprout hadn't said who or where the plants had come from, Neville knew that there was only one person other than Professor Sprout who knew so much about plants and ingredients. He'd tested his theory about Professor Snape only days ago - when faced with the Carrows, one former Potions Professor became the least of his fears - by sneaking into the Headmaster's office. Luna and the Creevey brothers had created a distraction for him, one that required the Headmaster's attention, and Neville had snuck into Snape's office once more. He'd firecalled his gran, just so it was obvious that he'd been the one to do it, and while she'd been surprised at his call (all of her owls had been unanswered, with most incoming owls having their mail stolen by the Death Eaters), his Gran had looked murderous at the black eye and swollen lip he'd been sporting. Neville had managed to calm her down (he was sure it was the first time his Gran had ever stopped to listen to him), and then had left to return to the Gryffindor Common Room. It had been three days, and yet he still hadn't been put into detention. Professor Snape hadn't even said anything about the firecall, and Neville had expected a snide comment about his need to call home, but there was nothing. After the Umbridge fiasco two years ago, Snape had been known to obsessively check his fireplace logs every single night to ensure that the same thing didn't happen to him. He had his suspicions, but he didn't tell Harry. Firstly, Neville doubted that he would be interested. Harry seemed to be entirely focused on two things: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and how to get them away from Voldemort. Secondly, he was fairly sure that Harry wouldn't believe him, and he didn't want to be belittled by the Chosen One. So, he kept his thoughts to himself, and simply continued to do what he did every other day: look after everyone and try to evade the worst of the Death Eaters.

Harry had told Neville of Draco, Blaise and Ginny's relationship, and how they'd been hiding out, expecting him to be as shocked and stunned as he'd been at both. While he was slightly surprised at the people Ginevra had chosen to be with, Neville had accepted it within moments - throughout Hogwarts, all kinds of relationships were popping up, as most people didn't know if they'd survive their next detention, and not wanting to waste their time with longing glances across rooms as they might have done once. The fact that Draco, Blaise and Ginevra had been hiding warranted no more than a nod. They all knew about Voldemort's punishments, how he maimed and tortured his own Death Eaters, and then how those same Death Eaters took their pain and punishment out on the students. If he'd been subjected to that, Neville didn't doubt that he'd want to hide as well. Especially if he had failed as spectacularly as Draco was rumoured to. Harry had been stunned at his acceptance of both, wondering just what had happened to the boy in front of him to make him understanding and accepting of **Slytherins** all of a sudden.

The day after Harry arrived, Neville made sure that everyone stayed quiet about his presence, and had to physically push some people out of the Common Room so they wouldn't raise suspicion. Seamus was one of these people, and the Irish boy couldn't seem to contain his glee. In fact, Neville noticed, most of the students were smiling again, whispers of the Chosen One returning filling ears. Somehow, the Death Eaters didn't seem to hear their words. Oh, more detentions than ever were handed out that day, but the Death Eaters didn't have a clue as to why everyone looked so _happy_. Neville was one of the first to receive detention, shouting loudly in the middle of class when he was sure Parvati and Lavender were talking about Harry Potter a bit too audibly for comfort. They'd looked appropriately abashed, both girls paling when he was immediately hit with the _Cruciatus Curse_ by brother Carrow. They were silent for the rest of the day, but tended to his wounds later that night after his detention, apologising softly and profusely.

Of course, when people began to realise that Harry was only interested in saving Hermione and Ron, the pedestal began to rock precariously. Everyone thought that he'd been their saviour, the saviour of the wizarding world, but it seemed he was only interested in saving _two_ wizards out of the thousands that encompassed their world.

It was only when McGonagall realised that Neville was late for his detention the next night, and came to retrieve him from the Gryffindor Common Room at the Carrows' insistence, that she discovered Harry's presence. She'd seen the secretive smiles on the students faces over the last two days, but she'd thought they'd just gotten hold of _The Quibbler_ again, or someone had received their owl from home before a Death Eater caught it. The Order had informed her of Harry's disappearance, but no one had been successful in cracking Aberforth yet. Minerva didn't think that Harry would have been foolish enough to go to the Gryffindor Common Room. The portrait of the Fat Lady was the most well-known portrait in the castle after that scuffle with Sirius Black, and everyone knew that she led into the Gryffindor Tower. If the Death Eaters had heard even a whisper of his presence, that's the first place they would look, and it definitely wasn't safe.

Neville had left for his detention when he heard the Carrows banging on the portrait entrance, and the Fat Lady's terror-filled screams. He didn't have time to use a skin-numbing spell, and when his detention was over an hour and a half later, the Carrows had to drag Neville down to the infirmary because he couldn't walk on his own. He'd woken up the next morning to find a small jar tucked into his shoe, filled with a cream to treat the welts and cuts on his body. By the time Neville was released by Madam Pomfrey (she'd whispered how he'd almost died right before her eyes, her face pale and eyes filled with tears), he made his way up to the Gryffindor Common Room to discover that Harry was no longer there. He had no doubt that McGonagall would have taken him to the Room of Requirement.

As it was a Saturday, Neville organised a last-minute DA meeting, pairs of two heading up to the room at a time while a lookout was stationed at every corner to warn others of patrolling Death Eaters. They didn't bother alerting the others if it was a regular Hogwarts Professor, as they seemed to be completely oblivious to the students' behaviour. Flitwick was often caught smiling to himself and sometimes let out a whistle if he saw a Death Eater approaching.

As always, Neville was the last one to get inside the room, Seamus beside him. They'd bonded quickly, being the only two boys in Gryffindor's seventh year. As a Muggle-born, Dean was on the run from Death Eaters in order to protect his family, and Harry and Ron had been out trying to save the world. It hadn't taken long for Neville and Seamus' friendship to turn into something more, and they often spent their nights in one bed, arms wrapped around each other as they slept and tried not to think of the nightmarish world they lived in. Seamus was now his right-hand man. With his experience involving explosions combined with Neville's knowledge of plants that reacted violently to heat and light, and they'd caused more damage to the Death Eaters than Peeves could ever dream of.

Lavender and Parvati had asked Harry of Hermione soon after he'd arrived, and he was surprised to hear the genuine concern in their voices over her. Hermione had never stated that she'd been teased by the girls, but there was a reason that he and Ron were her only friends. It seemed that they'd become remorseful at her absence since arriving and realising that they were the only two seventh year girls in Gryffindor. They'd become more understanding of her desire to study and know things after Lavender's second detention for getting her work wrong, and being put in the hospital wing long before the skin-numbing spells were discovered. She'd been studious ever since, and expressed her concern at Hermione being a captive of the Death Eaters. The ones that taught at Hogwarts had strict guidelines that they had to adhere to regarding their torture and punishment - they couldn't be seen as child-killing monsters, not if Voldemort wanted to win over the general wizarding population in order to take over the Muggle world - but the ones that _didn't_ teach had no such restrictions. Realising that she was implying that Hermione might be dead, or worse, Harry's throat tightened at the thought and he forced himself to turn and leave to where Neville was waiting. He'd promised to teach this DA lesson, and on seeing the sea of faces, felt his stomach churning. Pushing down the feeling, Harry began to talk.

Halfway through the lesson, the painting of the Hog's Head on the other side of the room creaked, and everyone went silent in a sudden fear. _Had the Death Eaters found the entrance to their room_? Neville indicated to a few people, and Harry was immediately obscured from sight. He held his wand tightly, pointing it at the portrait, the rest of the students copying his motion, determined to fight to the bitter end if they had to.

...

There were few things in Aberforth's life that truly scared him. Being threatened by one Molly Weasley was slowly creeping it's way up that small list. Apparently, the Order member had discovered the disappearance of her twin sons by Flooing to their boarded up shop. The wards around it had pushed her outside so as not to set the traps inside, and Molly had spent ten whole minutes prying off a board to find the shop abandoned. Her patience had snapped into tiny pieces at that moment - she was sick of the war, sick of losing her children because of the war, and she was utterly sick of living in fear that the war would end for her only to find her children dead, or worse - and the little patience that remained seemed to be focused on one thing: ending the damned war. As Aberforth cleaned a glass with a dirty rag, glancing at the redheaded woman on the other side of the bar, he figured that if anyone had a chance of ending the war without the Chosen One's help, she would be the woman to do it.

"Gods' help me, Aberforth, if you don't tell me where Harry went, I swear, I will destroy every single thing in this damned place!"

"Won't do you much good to destroy everything, Molly. You'll be wrecking your only chance of getting in Hogwarts undetected," he added, giving in exactly two minutes and thirty seconds after Molly first entered.

"Tell me how," she demanded, but the relief was evident on her face.

With a sigh, Aberforth moved around the bar, clearing out the regulars who were in far too early, or perhaps who hadn't left from the night before. When everyone else was gone, he checked on his goats, ignoring Molly's sound of exasperation. Assured that they were fine, he went to Ariana's portrait.

"Ariana, would you be a dear and take Molly to Hogwarts?" Aberforth asked kindly, and in a much more tender voice than Molly expected, especially after she'd just threatened him.

"Of course. Please, come with me," Ariana said with a soft smile.

"Thank you, Aberforth," Molly said, squeezing his hand gently before she stepped up into the frame.

Ariana was silent as she led the way, the fake light from her painted sun illuminating her house and land only as brightly as the moon. She didn't seem to mind, and knew the way off by heart, so the hilly landscape mattered little. Behind her, Molly was determined to keep up. She'd been in a few paintings before, and knew not to touch anything, but the feeling of travelling through a painted world always made her feel tired. As Hogwarts came into view, Molly sighed in relief. Ariana indicated for her to follow her into the castle, and soon the feeling of relief changed entirely. She had never seen Hogwarts in this way before. It was completely empty. The frames on the walls were simply frames, as if every portrait had been stolen.

"It takes too much time and effort to put every portrait in, especially when there's already my presence in the painting," Ariana explained when she saw the look of barely-repressed horror on Molly's face. "As they have a tendency to move around from portrait to portrait, it also takes too long to paint them individually. I was not fond of the idea of a half-finished portrait of the Fat Lady sitting on the wall. She would become depressed, I am certain of it."

Molly nodded in agreement. "Yes, I suppose she would... You painted Hogwarts in yourself?"

"Yes. Aberforth was not entirely happy that I chose to do so, but he is glad for it now, I know he is. He does love the children, almost as much as Albus did, but he just has a sterner way of showing it. He hates what the Death Eaters are doing to them, which is one of the reasons that he helps them with their training. Sometimes, he takes me outside so I can watch. Have you ever seen twenty students running around after goats? It is quite amusing," she said with a soft laugh.

Frowning slightly, Molly had to wonder what on earth the girl was talking about. Then Ariana stopped suddenly, and she had to stop herself before she walked into her.

"Here we are. You just need to open the door, and you will be inside their meeting room. I am sorry that I cannot stay longer, but I have a portrait that I would like to visit. Call for me when you are ready to leave," Ariana said with a smile, leaving Molly standing in front of the door for the Room of Requirement.

"Thank you," Molly called, but the young girl was already gone from sight.

With a small sigh, she stepped forward and opened the door.

...

Albus stayed perfectly still as Ariana finished his painting. He was the only portrait she'd included in the castle, allowing a way for him to visit her frame without having to walk through hundreds of other portraits to find her hilly landscape and the _Hog's Head_.

"Thank you, Ariana dear," he said with a content sigh as she took the brush away from the last purple stroke of his robe. He stepped out of the frame and smiled at her. "I do believe you've made me a bit younger than I remember being," Albus said with a chuckle, seeing the light brown streaks of colour in his beard.

"I think it makes you look very dignified," Ariana said, smiling gently. "Would you like to come with me to see Aberforth? He can take us out while he feeds the goats."

Albus hesitated for a moment, knowing that his brother's last words hadn't been forgiving, and his own hadn't been kind. They'd said so many foolish things to each other - Albus more than Aberforth, he knew that - and he had to wonder if Aberforth would ever forgive him.

Ariana frowned slightly at the hesitation, the sorrow, the pure guilt in her brother's face, and cupped his cheek softly, making him look at her. "He forgave you the day you died. Hold no ill grudges towards the dead, remember?"

He smiled slightly, surprised that she had remembered that. It was a line from a book he'd read to her while he'd still been friends with Gellert Grindelwald. Albus nodded briefly, her arm looping through his as she led him away from Hogwarts and to their brother.

...

Being welcomed at wand-point wasn't something Molly had expected, and she had to say that she didn't particularly enjoy it either. When Harry saw through the crowd that it was Mrs. Weasley, he made his way past them to greet her, being enveloped in a hug in return. Around them, everyone seemed to relax, and Neville returned them to their exercises.

"How did you escape the Death Eaters, Mrs. Weasley? I'm sure that Vol... You-Know-Who," Harry hurried to correct himself, "sent tens of them to try and capture me. Did the Order arrive in time to help?" he asked.

"They arrived a few minutes late, actually. The Death Eaters were bottle necked since they could only get in through the one door, so I took care of them easily enough. Now, let me look you over. You're all right, aren't you?" Molly fussed.

"I'm really fine, Mrs. Weasley," he replied quickly.

She harrumphed slightly, not entirely convinced, but as she looked around the room, Molly saw for herself that Harry looked positively healthy and tanned compared to some of the students.

"Just what's happened to them all?" she asked in horror, seeing the black eye on Neville's face as he approached.

"Detentions have ... changed," Harry finished lamely.

"What of their parents? Surely they can take their children out of school if they are being treated this way," Molly said.

She was suddenly thankful that her own children hadn't come to Hogwarts this year. Although, if this was the way that the Death Eaters treated students, she had a new fear for Ron's welfare worming it's way into her stomach.

"Everyone here refuses to tell their parents for exactly that reason, Mrs. Weasley," Neville informed her, sounding both proud and sad of the fact. "No one wants to leave, and no one wants to leave their friends to the consequences. You see, at the beginning of the year, when students were taken away by their parents, the Death Eaters found the most obscure reasons to put more students into detention. We were punished for them leaving, and as they want to hurt people on a daily basis, if there's only a few students left, then they'll never be left alone. It's pride in some ways, but in others, it's simply survival."

Throughout the room, people stopped fighting and training as they heard Neville's words, wanting to explain their own reasons for staying.

"If Colin doesn't leave, then neither do I," Dennis said firmly, smiling at his brother briefly.

"I'm not leaving Parvati to face those monsters alone. We seventh year Gryffindors have to stick together," Lavender added with a grin.

A multitude of reasons, excuses, and explanations flew throughout the room, each and every student determined to stay for everyone other than themselves. The friendship that had formed between the bunch made Molly feel warm inside, and she desperately wanted to hug all of them, to protect them with everything she had, just to see them alive and happy long after the war had ended.

"Are Fred and George all right, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked hesitantly, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"I don't know," she replied softly. "Their shop is all boarded up, and no one's heard from them in days. I really don't know."

"I do, Mrs. Weasley," Neville said suddenly.

Looking up at him sharply, she took a hesitant step forward. "How are my boys? Are they all right?"

"They say that they're fine, but Fred's in a bandage that he wasn't wearing the last time we spoke," Neville admitted. "They're in..."

"No!" Molly said, loud enough to draw attention from a few of the students. "Don't tell me where they are. Believe me, I know what sorts of things those Death Eaters do to make you talk, and I will not be the one responsible for compromising my sons' lives. I'm just glad that they're all right," she said in relief.

"Okay," Neville said with an understanding nod. "Are you here to see someone in particular? We've got a Polyjuice Potion simmering if you want to get about unnoticed," he offered.

"Actually, I came to check that Harry was all right. He ran off after the Death Eaters attacked, and I worried that he'd been captured," she said, watching as Harry hung his head. "Don't do that, Harry, I'm just happy to see that you're safe... Now, someone point me in the direction of a kitchen, and I'll whip us up some food while you tell me what your plan is."

At the thud behind Neville, he winced and turned to see Dennis on the floor, his legs wobbling and a stunned expression on his face.

"Mrs. Weasley did say she'd cook, didn't she?" Colin asked, looking to them.

All of the children looked to her, and Molly was almost frightened at the hungry looks in their eyes.

"The Death Eaters have limited the food supplies coming in, as they think someone will try to sneak in in a crate," Neville said. "We've had porridge for breakfast, and vegetable soup for lunch and dinner for the past two weeks. We're hoping another arrival of food comes in soon. The house elves are starting to turn to the bottle," he added, shaking his head.

Molly had paled considerably at his words, the mere thought of what their stomachs had been through making her feel ill.

"Well, then... I'd best start cooking. No one will mind if I turn half the room into a kitchen, will you?"

"You can do that?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Of course; it's the Room of Requirement," she replied with a brief smile. "And at this moment, I desperately require a fully stocked pantry and kitchen," Molly muttered.

Before their eyes, the floor began to creak and shift, the room expanding forcefully to bring a kitchen into existence. Moments later, a wooden floor and kitchen had been created, and Molly sighed in relief.

"Well, you lot keep doing what you're doing, and I'll cook something for you."

As Molly headed into the kitchen, she was fairly sure she heard some cheering, and other students informing their friends through Knuts to come to the Room of Requirement quickly.

...

Ginevra sighed softly, her head resting on Blaise's bare chest and her legs entwined with Draco's.

"All right, love?" Blaise murmured against her shoulder, stroking her hair gently.

She hummed in agreement. "I've missed this; I've missed both of you," she added.

"So have we," Draco said with a grin, his hands caressing her stomach, light fingertips trailing along her skin.

"Again? How do you have the energy?" she muttered, grinning when Blaise chuckled, pressing a kiss to her lips lightly.

"Are you complaining?" Draco muttered, his hand moving further up to cup her breast.

"Not at all," Ginevra replied, her breath hitching as he flicked his thumb over her hardening nipple. She pulled away from Blaise, moving quickly so that she was straddling Draco, grinning down at him.

"Ginevra?" he asked, and it wasn't the moan of desire she'd expected. He sounded almost ... _confused_.

Blinking down at him, Ginevra realised that Draco was beneath her, still wearing his pyjamas, and not the bare skin she'd felt only seconds ago. _She'd been **dreaming**_. She'd been dreaming about shagging her boyfriends and had actually pinned Draco beneath her body, as if she'd been desperate enough to shag him in her sleep. _Oh, dear gods_. She got off him quickly, hurrying to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

"I wasn't complaining," Draco called, Blaise glaring at him. "Oh, don't give me that look... She's hornier than I am, she just doesn't want to admit it. Give me a five minute snogging session with her, and I'll make her admit it. Out loud and numerous times over," he added, grinning.

"You liked being pinned down by her, didn't you?" Blaise murmured, glancing at the tented sheets further down the bed.

"Don't act like you wouldn't get the same reaction," he said, smirking as he rolled over to pin Blaise to the bed to prove his point.

_Okay, this was just bordering on ridiculous. No, it was already beyond ridiculous and was taking giant steps into **insane**_, Ginevra thought to herself. She wanted Draco and Blaise, but she didn't want to have sex with them because she might become pregnant. Draco and Blaise wanted her, but they didn't want to pressure her because she was scared of becoming pregnant. It was like some stupid Muggle soap-opera... She had a wand and magic to make sure she wouldn't get pregnant until a time when she - as well as Draco and Blaise - were ready to be parents.

There was an ache between Ginevra's legs, and the moans she could hear from the bedroom really weren't helping her at all. She'd run into the bathroom with her wand, and used it now to do a few spells on her stomach. When she was satisfied, Ginevra unlocked the door and walked into the adjoining bedroom. She grinned, subconsciously licking her lips at the sight her boyfriends were providing, their hands grasping the other's cock as they kissed eagerly. Moving to the bed, she rested her hand on Draco's shoulder, making both of them freeze what they were doing instantly.

"Gin, fuck... Just ... Give us a minute, and we'll be right out," Draco said quickly.

"We didn't mean to get this far ..." Blaise said at the same time.

She smiled at them, stilling their words. "It's all right. Move over so I can snog you," Ginevra said, grinning now.

"What?" Blaise asked in surprise, his blood currently centred in a place that wasn't his brain.

"What about you worrying?" Draco asked.

"I did some spells. I realised how stupid I've been. I'm sorry. I really am," Ginevra murmured, kissing Draco, and moving to kiss Blaise. "So sorry," she breathed, sighing against his shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Blaise said immediately, sitting up.

Draco moved to sit beside him, pulling Ginevra onto the bed so she was sitting across their laps.

"Absolutely nothing to be sorry about, love," Draco added, his hand slipping under her shirt with a grin.

She hesitated slightly, a fear flashing across her mind that this was all another dream, but Blaise kissed her, nipped at her bottom lip, the pain making her realise that it definitely wasn't a dream, and she couldn't stop her moan of desire as Draco began to tease her relentlessly.

Blaise grinned against her skin, Draco pressed his lips to her shoulder, and they fell into their rhythm as if it had never stopped.

...

End of the fifteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading; I hope you liked it!


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

(a/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and to those who didn't, I hope you enjoyed the story.)

_Read on, oh faithful ones_!

...

Chapter Sixteen

...

Neville paced the floor of the Room of Requirement. Luna still hadn't shown up yet, and she was usually one of the first to arrive. He hadn't noticed her absence until he saw Michael Corner and Cho Chang working together alone. They usually worked with Luna, and at first he'd assumed that she'd let them have their privacy to finally deal with their issues. Then Mrs. Weasley had announced that she'd cook for them, and all thought of Luna had left his mind. Now, as the table was setting itself, and everyone stopped training to take a seat, Neville saw that she still wasn't in the Room. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure that he'd seen her yesterday, or the day before either. _What sort of friend was he_?

"You're sure she didn't come in with you?" Neville asked Cho again.

"I'm sure, Neville. I haven't seen her since her last detention. I just thought she was in her room all this time, like she did the last time the Carrows had her. You don't think ..." she trailed off, her face paling at the thought that ran through her head.

"It's possible they've taken her. Her father's last issue of _The Quibbler_ wasn't exactly pro-You-Know-Who," Neville said, sighing.

Luna's detention had been five days ago, the same day that Harry had come back to Hogwarts.

"Padma, Cho, can you check Luna's room? Colin, Dennis, can you check if she's in the hospital wing again? From there, make your way back here and look _everywhere_. Take the Knuts with you, if either of you find anything, then let everyone know immediately," Neville instructed.

Despite the smells coming from the Room's kitchen, all four nodded and left quickly and without hesitation.

Neville sighed heavily, sitting on the floor. Harry made his way over quietly.

"What do you think's happened to her?" he asked Neville.

"Best case scenario? She's holed up in her room and will refuse to leave because of what the Carrows did to her again. Worst case? She's been taken to You-Know-Who's headquarters and tortured for information on her father."

"What do you mean, what the Carrows did to her again?"

"Luna's last detention involved sister Carrow holding her down while brother Carrow raped her with her own wand. It almost broke her, Harry. She spent two weeks in the hospital wing, and she had to have a barrier around her to stop anyone from entering. That was almost six months ago, and she still has nightmares and flinches whenever she sees the Carrow siblings. She ended up getting a room to herself because her screams were keeping everyone up... I've never seen her look like that before," he said, his voice breaking.

"Hey, come on, Neville. You know what Lu said. No crying over her, rememb'r?" Seamus murmured, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

He nodded in response, but continued to sob into his boyfriend's shoulder. Around them, everyone was quiet, and not even the smell of food could bring their spirits up.

Almost twenty minutes passed in silence, and a crackling noise from Neville's palm had him sitting up, wiping the tears from his eyes quickly.

"Neville? It's Cho. We found a note in Luna's room. She's been taken to You-Know-Who for conspiring against his reign," she spat in disgust.

"What's that mean?" Harry asked, frowning.

"That means it's the worst case scenario. It means that unless we rescue her, she's not coming back," Neville explained.

"Food's ready!" Molly called out, unaware of what had happened.

Seamus led Neville to the table, his hand squeezing his gently. Harry trailed after them, his mind abuzz with thoughts. _Surely wherever Luna had been taken, Ron and Hermione would be there too_?

...

Ron pressed his body against the bars, his throat and voice hoarse from trying to call for Hermione. He could hear her screams even from the dungeon, the result of a spell done by Voldemort himself. Everyone in the dungeons could hear the screaming of the tortured, but the people being tortured couldn't hear a thing in return. It didn't stop him from calling out though.

"Ron? You need to stop screaming now. You'll cough up blood again. Here, have some water," Luna murmured, moving beside him.

He couldn't lift himself up, couldn't move his arms to take the offered bowl, and with a tender smile, despite her black eye, bloodied lip, and the welts around her throat and arms, Luna gently lifted the small bowl to his mouth for him to drink.

"Now, let me see your wounds," she murmured, passing the bowl to Ollivander carefully.

Ron just moaned as she undressed him, his entire body screaming in pain as his clothes were removed. He had been embarrassed about this at the beginning, but there was little to be embarrassed about now. He had done everything in front of Luna, Hermione, and Ollivander, from throwing up the contents of his stomach, to bleed from wounds on them, and even empty his bowels in the corner pail. Being naked in front of them was nothing more than a drop in the ocean in comparison.

"Their healing spells are getting worse," Ollivander muttered, scooping up some moss that was growing on the floor and pressing it to the larger cuts on Ron's legs.

It was a magical moss that was quite rare, only growing in places where people were mortally wounded. Due to this, and the fact that those that needed to use it attributed their sudden recovery to other happenings (or who didn't use it and died as a consequence), the moss had never been named. Luna had seen the moss grow rapidly along the cobble ground of her mother's workshop moments before the exploding potion had killed her, and recognised the moss on the floor here after one of her own torture sessions. She'd been delirious in pain, and despite her words not making sense, Hermione had taken it upon herself to do what Luna had asked. They'd all been more than surprised to see the wounds on her body closing before their eyes, and it had become normal to cover each other in the moss the moment they returned from a session with the Death Eaters.

"I doubt that they even healed him this time," Luna murmured with a frown, pressing moss to the cuts on his arms and chest carefully.

Hermione's screams became louder, and then they cut off suddenly, the silence echoing in the dungeon. The lack of noise must have woken Ron, because he started to scream once more, calling for Hermione, for Harry, for everyone he ever knew, for Death. Then, as Hermione's screams started again, Ron's body went limp, and he coughed, blood splattering on his skin.

Moments later, Hermione was thrown into the dungeon, her body falling down the stairs. Luna moved to her quickly, gently moving her onto the floor. She reset Hermione's dislocated shoulder, pushing the bone back into its socket with a loud pop. It was nothing compared to the scream that Hermione emitted, and Luna fought to hold her down so she could undress her. Moss was growing around Hermione's body at an alarming pace, and Luna hurried to take her shirt and skirt off, slathering the green-blue moss onto Hermione's body. Blood was seeping out from between her legs, and a shudder ran through Luna's body at the sight, phantom hands holding her down at the memory of her own torture.

"It's all right, Luna. Just keep putting that moss on them. They'll live; they have to live. They're the only bargaining chips You-Know-Who has to get Harry Potter," Ollivander murmured in her ear, knowing not to touch her when she was like this.

She fought away the memory, brushing away the tears in her eyes before returning her attention to Hermione's broken body.

...

"I'm still not happy that you brought him here," Aberforth muttered, not looking away from the goats as he fed them.

"I know that, Aberforth, but you did say you'd forgiven him," Ariana replied, smiling at Albus gently.

"Only because he's dead, and I have no desire to waste my emotions on the dead. Otherwise, I would still be angry, and I would still hate him. Just because he's in a painting doesn't make it any easier to say that I've forgiven him, whether I have or not."

Ariana frowned slightly, and Aberforth sighed heavily, not liking to see her upset, especially at him.

"I'm sorry, Ariana. It's just harder to get over the hatred I had for him when he's right _there_," he muttered.

"It's perfectly understandable. Perhaps I should go," Albus said, standing up and brushing his robes off.

"No. No, it's okay, Albus. Please stay," Ariana pleaded, looking to Aberthforth to help convince their brother.

"If he wants to go, let him. Wouldn't be the first time," he muttered, turning away from the painting.

Ariana sighed heavily, and heard her name being called from the Hogwarts castle.

"We have to go now, Aberforth. I will be back soon," she said, giving him a brief smile.

Taking Albus' hand, Ariana led him back up to Hogwarts.

Once they were gone, Aberforth turned back to the empty frame, sighing heavily. The goats looked at him curiously, but for the first time in a very long time, he ignored his beloved goats, and simply picked up Ariana's frame carefully and carried it inside.

...

Molly was exhausted. The table that had appeared in the Room of Requirement was full of food from one end to the other. She hadn't needed to cook anything to this extent since Bill's wedding, and her body was aching from all of the standing and bending she'd done. Seeing the incredulous looks on the children's faces made the pain and aches worth it, and she couldn't help but smile. It seemed as if every student, no matter their House, had come to the Room of Requirement. They all hurried to sit down, and as she made her way down to her seat, Molly was fairly sure she heard someone crying in happiness.

"Now, before you lot all go stuffing your faces, remember this: the Death Eaters will be suspicious if we don't eat the gruel they serve for dinner. Also remember that we can come here late at night and stuff ourselves then. **Try** to control yourselves," Neville said, but he looked as though he wanted to tip plates and bowls of food directly into his mouth.

A few of the students didn't look overly pleased at the idea of limiting the amount of mouth-watering food they could eat, but they all understood the consequences of not eating their dinner in the Great Hall. Not eating resulted in anything from detention with Unforgivables, to house elves being given clothing, and depending on the Death Eater, threats made against their family, friends, and pets, Muggle or wizard. Lavender's rabbit, Fluffy the Second, had been killed when she couldn't eat after a detention, and his limp body had been hung in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

Silence fell as they all ate small amounts of food, trembling hands reaching out to take a small spoonful of food, or a single piece of chicken. Harry felt awful when he saw how full his plate was compared to the others, but Neville just nodded at him to eat. He needed his strength just as much as the rest of them did.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could allow themselves to eat, Neville went to the Ariana's portrait and called for her to come. Ten minutes later, she walked over the hill with a purple-robed person beside her. It was the first time anyone had seen Dumbledore in her portrait, and for a long moment there was silence, even from the Slytherin students.

"Yes, Neville dear?" Ariana asked, smiling at their expressions.

"I was wondering if you could take us to the goats. We've eaten proper food, and it's probably made us lazy and fat already," he said with a grin.

"I sincerely doubt that, but perhaps it would be good to work up an appetite before you have to go to the Great Hall," she conceded, nodding. "If you would be so good as to come in groups of eight, I will take you to the _Hog's Head_," Ariana said.

Neville thanked her, then turned and hurried to split everyone into smaller groups. No one resisted or complained about who they were grouped with, and as Harry saw the groups standing with each other, he realised that Neville had sorted them so that there were two people from each House.

"Mrs. Weasley, Harry, would you like to come with us?"

"We'd love to, dear," Molly replied with a nod.

When the last of the students were sorted, the first group of eight climbed into the portrait. They must have done this sort of thing before, because the moment Ariana and the first group had disappeared over the hill, the next group climbed inside. Dumbledore chatted with them amiably as he took them towards the _Hog's Head_. Within a matter of minutes, the Room of Requirement was empty, and the _Hog's Head_ was full of students.

Aberforth took them out to where the goats were at the back of the pub, not saying a word as he opened their pen.

"Come on, Billy," Neville called. "Hey, Petunia. There you go, Marvin. Come on, Petal."

The four goats filed out of the pen calmly. Once they were out of the wooden frame, they charged at the students quickly. With yelps and cries, the students ran away from the goats, clambering up the small mountain that was at the back of the pub.

"What are they doing?" Harry asked, perplexed.

Neville chuckled at his expression. "Training. You do not want to anger a goat and not be able to outrun the damned thing, believe me!" He nodded over to the Creevey brothers, who were climbing up the steeper rocks, Petunia following them nimbly. "They're working on the harder part of the mountain to help with their coordination."

Pansy Parkinson ran past, Millicent Bulstrode, Lavender, and Parvati running with her. Billy and Marvin were charging after them, their horns lowered. ("They're working on their stamina," Neville explained.)

Seamus, Michael Corner, and Cho Chang had Petal surrounded, working together to bring her down as she attacked them. ("Those three are working on stamina and response times," Neville said with a slight grin.)

"What happens if they miss?" Molly asked, frowning slightly.

"Then they get hit by a goat. It's not the most painful thing any of us have had to go through, believe me. You get winded for a few minutes, then get up and try again," he replied with a shrug. "I'd better get to it. I ate two whole chicken legs," Neville said, grinning as he headed over to where Dennis and Colin were making their way up the small mountain.

Beside them in her frame, Ariana was talking to Albus, telling him how most of the students hadn't even made it past the first set of rocks when they'd first begun this. She laughed and clapped her hands when Seamus, Michael and Cho brought Petal down. The goat didn't seem harmed or annoyed in any way, and moments later, when she was free again, Petal stood and charged at them. With a laugh, Seamus ran past them.

Amazed at the fierce and happy expressions on their faces, Harry joined in with Ariana's laughter, unable to keep from smiling at the sight of the four goats now charging after the group of students. He continued to laugh, a rough sound that indicated just how long it had been since he'd allowed himself to be this happy to actually laugh in response. Harry laughed and laughed, sliding down the edge of the pub, his arms wrapped around his chest and stomach. Within seconds, his laughter turned into sobs of pain. Sighing softly, Molly moved to sit beside him, wrapping her arms around the boy who felt like her seventh son.

...

Harry was vaguely aware of returning to Hogwarts through the painting, a purple clad arm wrapped around his shoulders, one that he eventually recognised as Dumbledore's. His former Headmaster didn't say anything as he led him through the painted world of his sister's portrait, but as Neville and Molly took Harry from his grasp, he was fairly sure he heard Albus murmur a single word in his ear. _Remember_.

As his body was laid down onto a bed the Room created for him, Harry watched with unseeing eyes as the students all left in pairs, heading to the Great Hall for their dinner. Molly set about cleaning up, leaving him to rest. Harry saw everything with unblinking eyes, from his first to his last memory. His parents screams and a flash of green. His cousin, his aunt and uncle, and their neglect over the years. Meeting Hagrid and finding out that he was a wizard. Ron and Hermione, Quirrell and the Philosopher's Stone. Ginny and the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle's diary, the basilisk. Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher. His enemies, his friends, his teachers, the people he considered as family. The changes they'd all experienced over the years. Neville, Seamus, even Colin Creevey. Every year and every moment played before his eyes in no particular order. It was only as his eyes were finally drifting shut that he recalled a memory of Dobby disappearing from Hogwarts after receiving a sock from Lucius Malfoy. Harry sat up abruptly, his eyes wide at the thought.

"All right there, Harry?" Seamus asked, frowning at him.

"How long was I out?" he asked, seeing that the Room was full of students once more. He hadn't even heard them come in!

"About three hours. You scared us. Didn't even look like you were breathing at one point," Neville said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Harry nodded briefly, looking around the room to land on the cauldron simmering away in the corner. "I need to get to the kitchens. I know how to get Ron and Hermione back."

Silence fell at his statement. The kitchens were close to the dungeons where the Death Eaters resided, and only the stupidly brave tried to go there after curfew. The last time anyone had tried had been months ago, and they'd been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse from three different Death Eaters in front of the entire Great Hall. No one had attempted it since.

A slight murmur began from a few of the students, and finally, Pansy stood up, Millicent beside her.

"You can use my hair, and Pansy will go with you," Millicent offered.

"We're Slytherins, and our Common Room is closer to the kitchens than anyone else. Well, the Hufflepuffs might be closer by a metre or two, but none of them would dare going to the kitchens this late at night. No offence," Pansy added, nodding at Ernie, who just shrugged.

"We won't get punished as badly as anyone else. It's the only way it'll be believable if you're caught, Potter," Millicent said, pulling a few hairs from her head.

"Yeah, but ... you're a girl," Harry said, his entire face going red.

Laughter erupted at his statement, and Neville just chuckled, going to get a goblet of the Polyjuice potion for him.

"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked when everyone had calmed down.

"We get punished, just like the others do. It's not to the same extreme, nor as often, but it's done in order to prepare us for a life of servitude. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but if that sort of food is all I'm going to get for serving a bald guy without a nose, I'd rather help you lot," Millicent said, smirking. "It was a bloody good meal, Mrs. Weasley," she added in thanks. "Consider this payment for the food."

"Best damned meal I've had since August," Daphne said, Pansy agreeing with a nod.

"But it's March," Molly said, her face paling.

"Like I said, we get punished too," Millicent said with a shrug, holding out her hair once more.

Harry took the strands of hair and thanked her softly. He dropped them into the goblet, watching with a churning stomach as the liquid bubbled. A small cubicle appeared, a robe and girls uniform hanging inside. With a sigh, Harry stepped into the small room. He stripped out of his clothes, placing his glasses on them carefully. Taking a deep breath, he drank the potion quickly, not wanting to dwell on the feel of the slimy potion flowing down his throat. He screamed out in pain as his body squeezed and stretched, his body burning, his head and brain pressing up and out and giving him an instant headache. The pain eased as his body finished turning into Millicent's.

Blinking a few times at his naked form, Harry went bright red when he realised that he was looking at Millicent's body, her curves, her breasts, her ... _oh, dear_. Harry shut his eyes tightly and turned away from the mirror to change into the uniform and robe. The skirt felt odd against his legs, and his hands might have lingered at her breasts longer than they should have, even though he blamed it on his inability to put a bra on. When he was finally dressed, Harry took a deep breath and opened the cubicle door.

"Not too bad, Potter. I'll stay here until you get back. Try not to be too long, would you?" Millicent said, stepping aside.

He hoped his cheeks weren't as red as he thought they were, and nodded, not trusting his voice.

"Right, come on, Millicent," Pansy said, looping her arm through his. "If we get caught, don't say a thing, got it?"

Harry just nodded in response. He didn't intend on saying a thing if he could help it. Everyone had decided to stay in the Room of Requirement with Millicent, a form of moral support and curiosity to see if the great Harry Potter could return to Hogwarts with his friends. He glanced at them one more time before the door closed, nothing on the wall indicating that the door had been there in the first place.

It was odd to be walking around Hogwarts at night, and in someone else's body, but Harry supposed it wasn't the first time for either happening. Pansy kept her arm looped with his, and at each corner, checked to make sure no one was around.

"They must have a meeting tonight," she murmured softly.

She relaxed slightly, but didn't become presumptuous, and continued to check each corridor before they stepped into it. Finally, after almost twenty minutes, they made their way into the kitchen.

The house elves looked as bad as the students, with thin bodies and their ribs sticking out, and more than one was curled up on the floor with a bottle of Butterbeer in their arms.

"Dobby?" Harry called softly, stepping between the house elves carefully.

"Harry Potter?" Dobby called, sitting up. "You're not Harry Potter," he said, frowning at Millicent's form. "But you have Harry Potter's voice."

"Dobby, it's me. I used a Polyjuice potion to get down here. I need to ask you something, Dobby."

Blinking rapidly, Dobby sat up, jolting the house elf beside him. Winky groaned and rolled over, falling off her stool and onto the floor. She sat up, her head spinning.

"You can get through the wards in Hogwarts, can't you, Dobby?" Harry asked.

The house elf nodded, his tea cosy hat falling forward. "Of course Dobby can. The wards are for human people, not house elves."

"Can you get people in and out of Hogwarts, Dobby?" he asked desperately.

"Yes, Dobby can do that."

"That's great, Dobby. I need your help, please."

Dobby sat up straighter still, looking honoured at being asked to help. "What can Dobby do for Harry Potter?"

He smiled slightly, and detailed his plan. Around them, house elves realised that humans were in the kitchens, and woke up slowly.

Harry, on seeing his audience, informed the house elves that there was food in the Room of Requirement, and asked them to take Pansy back to the Room for him. They seemed excited at the prospect of food, and disappeared quickly.

He turned to the two remaining house elves, Dobby and Winky, and took their large bony hands in his own. Thinking of everything he'd just remembered, Harry tried to think where Voldemort would be holding Hermione and Ron prisoner. Looking to Dobby and Winky once more, he decided that his first thought would be better than nothing. It might even have some clues if no one was there.

"Riddle House."

...

The fireplace lit up brightly, and Neville's head appeared in the flames. There was no one there that he could see, and he looked down to the scrap of parchment to double check the twins' instructions for contacting them. He'd done everything right.

"One moment," a house elf said, appearing in the room he was looking at.

Neville nodded briefly, surprised at the house elf's presence as much as the luxurious room it had been standing in. The twins' hadn't said they were going to stay with rich relatives. Within moments of his firecall coming through, the five inhabitants of the Italian manor were in front of the fireplace, listening to Neville tell them to get ready to go to war. It seemed that Harry was in Hogwarts, and he'd returned only minutes ago with Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ollivander, as well as a few other goblins and people that had defied Voldemort.

Behind him, they could hear Madam Pomfrey healing people, instructing students to bring her items, and a few moans of pain.

"Are Ron and Hermione okay?" Ginevra asked, sitting up straighter.

"Madam Pomfrey's seeing to them now. They don't look the best," he replied, his words cautious.

"We'll be right there. Do you need anything? Blankets, food, hygiene or healing products?" Blaise drawled, seeing the bruises on Neville's face.

"If we don't keep these bruises, we get fresh ones," he replied testily.

Draco nodded in remembrance. "We'll bring blankets. I'm assuming they've limited the bedding to one pillow and blanket each?"

"Pillow and a sheet. Apparently, it's too hot for a blanket," Neville said, rolling his eyes.

"Right, we'll get those. Come on, Zabini, you know where all of the blankets are," Fred and George said in unison, standing and leaving together, pulling Blaise along with them before he could protest.

"Mate, what you said back there was really uncharacteristic of you," Fred said with a frown.

"What's wrong? Worried about going off to fight?" George asked.

Blaise was silent for a moment, his jaw clenched. Then he sighed, and shook his head. "Seeing Neville like that, it ... it just made me think of Draco when I first saw him. He looked like Draco's mirror image, and I'm worried what we'll see when we go back there. Everyone's just going to be so damaged, and I don't want Ginevra to worry over everyone like that. She's going to stress herself, and I already know that she's thinking of a hundred spells or more that could heal Longbottom's black eye. She's going to exhaust herself."

"How about you let **her** decide how she'll respond?" George suggested with a slight grin.

"Yeah, if we know our sister, she'll probably get so angry - "

" - That she'll take You-Know-Who on by herself, and win."

"Great, give me more to worry about," Blaise muttered, opening the linen cupboard.

"Happy to help," they said with identical grins.

Arms loaded with blankets of every shape and colour, they returned to the fireplace. Ginevra and Draco passed the blankets through the green flames harmlessly as the twins went to get some more blankets.

"Sorry about my behaviour earlier, Neville," Blaise apologised.

He snorted in surprise, waving off his apologise easily. "Don't worry about it. I forget you haven't been here for all this. Most of us are proud of how many bruises and cuts we've got and kept. Seamus won't stop showing everyone the scar on his back from getting the _Cruciatus Curse_ six times in a row at detention," Neville said, grinning.

"He survived that?" Blaise asked in surprise.

"Takes more than tha' ter kill me!" Seamus said, sticking his head next to Neville's. "These things real goose feather?" he asked, looking at the blanket in his arms.

"Probably," he replied with a shrug, having no idea. "Keep it if you want."

"Brilliant, thanks!" Seamus said, hugging the blanket to his chest.

"This is the last lot of blankets," George said.

"We brought some pillows too," Fred added.

When the last of the linen had made its way through the fireplace, Neville stepped back. Before she could step through, Ginevra ran from the room quickly. She returned in moments, her arms filled with weapons. Neville's eyes widened slightly, and then he grinned broadly.

"I reckon we can do some damage with those," he said eagerly.

"We'll get the rest, love. You go through," Blaise said with a nod.

Draco took Ginevra's hand, squeezing slightly as she stepped into the green flames. In a flash, she disappeared from their vision, and was standing beside Neville and Seamus a moment later. When they were sure she was all right, Draco and Blaise hurried to the training room to get the rest of the weapons.

Fred and George followed their sister once the weapons were through. After giving Blaise a quick kiss, Draco stepped into the fireplace after them. The last standing in his manor, Blaise sighed and looked around one more time, not knowing when he'd return to such splendour and luxury. Then Blaise stepped into the fireplace, and the flames died behind him.

...

End of the sixteenth chapter.

Hope you liked it.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with Harry Potter.

(a/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and to those who didn't, I hope you liked the last chapter.)

_Read on, oh faithful ones_!

...

_Chapter Seventeen_

...

Harry hurried through the dungeons, unable to believe his luck. Dobby and Winky had finally found Ron, Hermione, and Luna, and his hour was up. _He was skulking through the Riddle House dungeon in a __**skirt**_.

All thoughts of his attire left his mind the moment he stepped into the cell and saw the state of his friends, and Ollivander. They looked worse than he'd imagined in some ways, and slightly better in others. It seemed that they'd been given food and water at least.

"Quickly, Harry, they're at a meeting at the moment, but they'll be back soon," Luna said, standing unsteadily and moving to Hermione.

He nodded in response, hurrying to Ron's side to help him stand as Winky disappeared with Ollivander. Dobby took his hand, and they disappeared with Ron just as Winky returned for Luna and Hermione.

The students in the Room of Requirement were silent as they arrived. Harry didn't give them a chance to say anything, leaving with Dobby and Winky to get the rest of the prisoners out of that hell. Almost an hour later when the Riddle House's dungeons were completely empty, Harry finally let himself stop and sit down. Molly was going about giving people water, wrapping thin blankets around others. Someone had gone to get Madam Pomfrey, and she was making her way through the filthy people, instructing a few students to fetch things for her or help bandage others. In the corner, Neville had fired up the fireplace and was talking into it. Minutes into his conversation, thick blankets began to pour their way out of the fireplace, and Seamus hurried over to help him.

"This is goose feather, this is!" Seamus said excitedly, returning to the fireplace to ask the owner about the blanket.

Moments later, Ginevra stepped into the room, and an abundance of weapons followed her entry. Some were as simple as swords and knives, but others were things that Harry couldn't even hope to name. Once the last of the weapons were in the Room, Fred and George stepped inside. Draco came after them, and finally, Blaise. They looked around with wide eyes, their expressions probably similar to his own when he'd first arrived, Harry thought.

"Harry?" Luna asked, moving to sit beside him.

"Yes?"

"Why are you wearing a skirt?" she asked curiously.

Laughter erupted around them, and Harry went red when he saw the amount of people laughing. Realising that they weren't laughing at him, per se, but more releasing their tension, Harry joined in the laughter. Even so, he still hurried to where his clothes were sitting, ducking into the impromptu changing room that appeared. He'd feel better when he had his pants on.

"Ginny? Oh, my Ginny! I'm so glad you're here. Have you seen Ron yet?" her mother asked, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"No, not yet. Have you?" she asked, hugging her mother in return.

"Only briefly. I've been helping these poor people while Madam Pomfrey concentrates on healing Ron and Hermione," Molly replied. "Draco, Blaise, it's good to see you again."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley. We're sorry about leaving so suddenly," Draco said.

"Don't apologise, I understand completely. I just wish you didn't have to leave," she replied with a brief smile. "But don't worry, we're going to end this war, and then you'll be able to come and go as you like," Molly said firmly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Blaise said with a brief smile.

Molly ushered her twins over to her, gathering them both up in a large hug. "You two scared me," she murmured, trying to keep her eyes dry.

"Sorry, Mum," George said.

"Didn't mean to," Fred added.

"I know. Now, let me look at you. How is your arm, Fred, dear? Do you need it to be bandaged again?" Molly asked, looking at the white cloth around his arm.

A sudden scream of pain interrupted any further conversation. The scream hadn't come from one of the wounded however, but rather from Harry.

His screaming was over in less than a minute, and he sat up, his chest heaving as he clutched his scar tightly.

"You-Know-Who found out we've got all of his prisoners. He's **really** pissed off," Harry breathed in explanation, cheering erupting at his words.

As it hadn't done in months, Draco's arm began to burn. The excruciating pain made him drop to his knees, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Draco? Draco!" Ginevra said, moving beside him.

Blaise was next to him a second later, both of them holding him as he writhed in pain.

The words that followed seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. They entered every ear, every mind, and the slimy feeling lingered long after the words had stopped.

"_Attention, witches and wizards of Hogwarts. Bring Harry Potter to me, and you shall not be harmed. I only want Harry Potter. The rest shall live, if he is brought to me within the hour. One hour, and they will not die, Harry. Would the great Chosen One sacrifice himself to save the ones he loves? Those hiding Harry will suffer tenfold_."

Draco's writhing stopped and he lay on the ground, gasping for air with Blaise and Ginevra on either side of him, looking concerned and feeling helpless.

When no more was heard from Voldemort, all of the students looked at each other. Harry seemed uneasy, as if he expected everyone to wrap him up and hand him over on a silver platter. Seamus' boisterous laughter was definitely not expected, but he supposed it was better than being hexed.

"_Those hidin' Harry will suff'r tenfold_? If this **could** get ten times worse, I'd be dead!" Seamus said, laughing again, this time to the point of hysterics. "Little food, barely enough water, tortured on a daily basis, and no contact with the outside world! Suffer tenfold, my arse!"

Neville wrapped his arms around Seamus' shoulders, holding him tightly. He knew that Seamus was really worried about his mother, who he hadn't heard from since October.

"Your mother'll be fine, Seamus. You know how tough she is; you really think _your mam_ is going to let some pathetic and insecure Death Eaters overwhelm _her_?" he asked, smiling grimly when Seamus laughed and sobbed at the same time in response.

"Lighten up a bit, Harry," Fred said with a broad grin.

"No one here's going to hand you over, are they?" George asked, looking over the crowd pointedly.

A quick chorus of agreement followed, even from the gathered Slytherins. Harry wondered if it was because Blaise and Draco were back, or because they'd really liked Mrs. Weasley's cooking that much. It sure wasn't because the Slytherins were suddenly friends with him. He caught Millicent's eye, and tried not to blush, looking away quickly when she smirked at him.

Harry made his way over to where Pomfrey was still working on Hermione, and Ron, his fist clenching tightly when he saw just how extensive their bruises, cuts, and other injuries were. While Hermione's private areas were covered by towels, he could still see a tinge of blood on her legs, and his stomach churned at the thought of everything she'd been through. Ron looked pale and restless, a series of scars littering his arms and upper body. When Pomfrey turned Ron over carefully with the help of a few students, Harry almost threw up. There was hardly any skin left on his back, the entire expanse of what had been skin now nothing more than scabbing and bleeding lines, criss crossing their way over every part of his back. He'd been whipped, and in some places, Harry was sure that holes had dug into his skin, as if the whip had spikes on it.

"Move back now, there's a dear. They'll be all right; they just need to rest and let their bodies heal," Pomfrey said, patting his hand gently.

Harry moved back as she said, bringing his hand up to run through his messy hair. He stilled halfway there, his eyes focused on the blood she'd inadvertently smeared on his hand. _Ron's_ blood, _Hermione's_ blood. It didn't matter who it belonged to, it only mattered that it had been spilled because of _him_.

The door opened suddenly, and every wand was drawn and pointed at the opening in less than a heartbeat. McGonagall's eyes widened in surprise, her hand to her heart.

"Oh, you're all here. I worried about you all. Everyone's gathering in the Great Hall. It's the safest place at the moment. Come on, all of you. Don't worry about the Death Eaters; they've already gone over to _him_," she spat.

"All right people, you know the drill. Groups of eight. Four of you take the weapons and blankets, and the other four can carry the food. The house elves can gather enough utensils and dishes for everyone to eat off in the Great Hall," Neville instructed.

In a matter of minutes, everyone had done as he'd said, the house elves disappearing. Only Madam Pomfrey and her two charges were still on the ground, and she glanced up at Minerva.

"I'll need help taking them to the Great Hall. They shouldn't even be moved, really, but they'll be safer there than here," she said.

"I'll help," Harry volunteered immediately.

Millicent offered to help too, and Harry went bright red. He hurried to give his attention squarely to Madam Pomfrey, listening to her instructions carefully.

"Very well. Is everyone ready then?" McGonagall asked, looking them over.

Determined faces looked back at her, some armed with little more than their wand and a blanket. Others were holding weapons that she probably couldn't even name, and a few more were holding large crock pots and dishes that seemed bigger than their bodies. She sighed, hating how Hogwarts had come to this. She'd tried to keep them all safe, she'd done everything in her power, and yet it still hadn't been enough. Without a word, she turned on her heel and left the Room of Requirement, multiple groups of eight following her.

On their departure from the Room, Peeves flew out of the wall with the Bloody Baron, Sir Nick, the Grey Lady, and the Fat Friar. The ghosts and poltergeist flew ahead, ensuring that the path was safe for them before continuing to the next corridor. They managed to make it to the Great Hall without incident, and Madam Pomfrey immediately started to work on healing Hermione and Ron again.

"Well, Harry, what's your plan?" Neville asked, looking to him.

Looking away from his two friends on the floor, Harry looked at Neville, blinking owlishly. _Plan? His friends were lying on the ground, looking for all as though they were dying, and he was meant to have a __**plan?**_

"I don't have one. I've still got a Horcrux to find, I have no idea where it is, and I can't defeat You-Know-Who if it's still there! It's supposed to be something hidden in the castle, but I don't have the time to search for something that's reputedly been lost for centuries! This castle is too big for a search like that, and I'm the only one who can tell what the Horcrux is because of my scar. So as far as having a plan goes, there isn't one! There's never been a plan! It's always just been me putting myself and my friends into danger because of that deranged madman outside!"

"Now, you listen to me, Harry Potter," Luna said firmly and with a glare, despite her swollen lip and black eye. "You might be the only one who can recognise what the Horcrux is, but you're not the only one who can search for things. And if it's something that's been lost for centuries, then it has to be Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. Nothing else has been famous enough to be lost for that long."

"I thought that thing was just a legend?" Neville asked with a frown.

"It's not. Just ask the Grey Lady," Luna said, nodding towards the ghost.

The woman had been shy in life, and was even more so in death, so to suddenly have the gaze of a hundred or so people on her made the Grey Lady understandably nervous. She fled from the room without a word, and before anyone could say or do anything, Harry ran after her.

"Potter's got one _serious_ hero complex," Draco muttered, shaking his head.

"Oh, dear. Has anyone seen to you yet?" Molly asked, seeing the bruise on Luna's eye. "Here, come with me. We'll get you right as rain soon enough," she said, wrapping her arm around Luna's shoulders gently and leading her to a table to sit down.

"Okay, people, we're still training here. The change of room doesn't change anything," Neville called out.

With small groans of protest, everyone began to start training and duelling again, showing the Professors exactly what they'd been learning on their own for all of this time. Flitwick was delighted and offered advice here and there, suggesting spells to people, and encouraging the use of more than one weapon with the older students.

Draco, Ginevra and Blaise stood up to train with the rest of them, fighting with swords and wands easily. Seamus and Neville joined in, the former asking for one of their swords, and the latter immediately protesting that idea.

"You almost stabbed Dennis last time you got hold of a sword, Seamus. You weren't even training with him!" Neville added, shaking his head.

"That was an accident! 'Sides, it's not like the wound was _that_ serious," he muttered. "I've got to be able to do somethin' _other_ than hex people!"

"There is something you may be able to do, Mr. Finnigan," McGonagall interjected with a smile that spoke volumes of her intent.

Seamus followed her, and the other four heard words that didn't set well with Neville. Mixing words like _explosion_ and _Seamus_ in the same sentence was just asking for trouble.

"Well, looks like we came right in time, doesn't it, Gred?"

"Indeed, Forge. Do you reckon any of the Death Eaters outside might be malnourished enough to eat a Ton Tongue Toffee?" George asked with a grin.

Fred paused, as if seriously considering his twin's question. "You know what? I think they _might_ very well just be that desperate for food," he said with a snicker.

They both pulled out a handful of wrapped sweets from their pockets, and with a circular motion and murmured word over the other's palm, the hardboiled candies disappeared.

"Now, that's either gone right to where the Death Eaters are waiting on the cliff," Fred said.

"Or the Giant Squid is going to hate us for the rest of its natural born life," George finished.

Looking to each other, they both shrugged.

"The house elves are back, Neville!" Dennis called out, seeing the table filling with various utensils, dishes and goblets.

"Okay, everyone cool down and grab a plate or bowl. Remember, don't stuff yourselves. We've still got a war to fight!" Neville called over the excited shouts.

Parvati and Lavender stood guard at the entrance of the Great Hall, their eyes intent on the corridor outside. They didn't leave even when Moody and Tonks went to take their place. It wasn't until Neville and Seamus relieved them that the two girls sat down to eat, making it very obvious just who they took their orders from. Blaise and Draco took the next guard duty shift, wordlessly nodding to the two Gryffindors as they relieved them. Ginevra went to join them, ignoring their pleas for her to return to the Great Hall.

...

Wormtail trembled before Voldemort, his eyes wide and staying firmly on Voldemort's wand. He was waving it about like a madman, not that Wormtail would be telling the Dark Lord _that_.

"You incompetent fool. They were in the dungeon of a place that was Unplottable, yet now you've come to tell me they've escaped?" Voldemort hissed, striking out at Wormtail.

He screamed in pain as the spell hit him, the Cruciatus Curse making his entire body arch, trying to get a release from the pain. Wormtail whimpered as the spell faded, curling into a tight ball. He didn't dare to turn into a rat before the Dark Lord, remembering all too well what had happened the last time he'd attempted such a thing.

Voldemort pulled the closest Death Eater to him, his wand pressed to the minion's throat.

"Get. Them. Back. Now!"

The minion stammered something unintelligible, Disapparating immediately. Wormtail envied him, but stayed where he was, curled up in pain at Voldemort's feet. He received a kick to the ribs for his trouble, and when Voldemort mentioned something about torturing Muggles, Wormtail breathed a sigh of relief. When the Dark Lord had disappeared, Wormtail groaned, rolled over and crawled over to his small tent to heal himself.

...

Running through the castle, Harry had to accept from Sir Cadogan in order to follow the Grey Lady through the walls and rooms that were locked. The knight galloped off ahead of him, shouting directions for Harry to follow so that he wouldn't go off into the wrong painting and be stuck.

Finally catching up to the ghost, Harry jumped out of the painting, landing on the stone floor with a hiss of pain.

"Please, just wait," he called, struggling to get to his feet and follow the Grey Lady again. "I need to find the diadem. I need to destroy it!"

Halfway through the wall, Helena stopped. Turning around, most of her body hidden in the wall still, she looked at Harry with a frown.

"Why do you need to destroy my mother's diadem?"

"Your mother's... But that would make you... You're Helena Ravenclaw?" Harry asked in surprise.

He only remembered who she was because Hermione had spent hours one night talking about Helena Ravenclaw and the Baron who had loved her, yet was the same person who had killed her. Ron had fallen asleep while she'd been talking, and had received a sharp smack on the head with _Hogwarts: a history_ as a result.

"Why are you here when the Baron's here?" he asked in surprise.

The Grey Lady looked away from him for a moment, and Harry felt awful for making the ghost look so sad. Then she looked back at him, her features sharp.

"You have not answered **my** question."

"The diadem... I need to destroy it. It's a Horcrux, and if I don't destroy it, then I can't defeat Voldemort. My friends are probably going to die if I don't win against him, and I need to protect them... Please, do you know where it is?"

Helena regarded him for the longest moment, and Harry wanted to just scream at her to give him the answer. _There wasn't enough time for this_!

"Tom Riddle found my mother's diadem in the Albanian forest. He came here one night to apply for the Dark Arts teaching position. When he was refused, he left Professor Dumbledore's office and went to the Room of Requirement... That is all I know."

Thinking of the Room of Requirement and just the amount of things that he had used the room for, Harry remembered the room he had hidden the Half Prince's textbook in.

_It had been full of all manner of items, so perhaps it was hidden in there? It would be somewhere to start, at least_.

"Thank you very much, Helena," Harry said, rushing out of the room before she could say anything else.

When Harry had disappeared, Helena sobbed, her head in her hands.

She heard a clanking of chains, but couldn't stop her sobbing long enough to tell the Bloody Baron to leave her alone.

"Don't cry, Helena," a rough whisper said, the chains falling to the ground and arms encircling her.

...

"Stop telling me to go inside; it's not going to happen," Ginevra muttered, staying put between Draco and Blaise's bodies.

"Fine. At least let me do a warming spell on you, you're shivering," Draco said.

She couldn't deny that, and nodded briefly. A warm feeling washed over her, and Ginevra thanked Draco quietly. They sat in silence for a moment longer, until Ginevra couldn't hold her words back any more.

"If anything happens to me, don't do anything stupid, all right?"

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Gin. We both promised Fred and George that you wouldn't get hurt, and we're sticking by that promise," Blaise said, Draco nodding in agreement.

"You can't promise that. What if we get separated or something happens to both of you? You can't promise something like that! Go tell Fred and George you take it back!" Ginevra said, getting to her feet.

She looked down at them when they didn't get up as well. Noticing that they were both tugging down their sleeves, Ginevra dropped to her knees and pulled their right sleeves up to see two bright swirls from their Unbreakable Vows on their forearms.

"I'm going to hex their arses for this," Ginevra growled, moving to stand again.

Both Blaise and Draco held her arms so she couldn't stand.

"We made them do it, Gin. Hell, we basically had to hold them at wand point before they'd do it, but it was our decision and choice," Draco said, his voice firm.

"Oh, you _idiots_," Ginevra said, closing her eyes tightly so she wouldn't cry.

Draco and Blaise gathered her in their arms.

"We're going to protect you, and we're going to make sure you don't get hurt. Neither of us wanted to go out in this without making that clear. It's not that we think less of you, just that we couldn't live with ourselves if we didn't do this for our own peace of mind," Blaise murmured, pressing a kiss to her.

Draco had buried his head on her shoulder, trembling against her. "I couldn't go on to fight if I couldn't do this, Gin. I won't allow you to be hurt."

"I love you, you bloody idiots," she whispered, kissing them each in turn.

"Since when did _keepin' watch_ mean _have a snogfest_?" Seamus asked, smirking down at them.

"We're still keeping watch," Draco said, glaring at him.

Seamus scoffed. "Sure, it's real easy to see 'em approachin' when ye're sucking face. Come on, me and Nev are keepin' watch now."

"And by that, he means we'll be snogging the moment the door's closed," Neville said, grinning over Seamus' shoulder.

Muttering under his breath and shaking his head, Seamus stepped out of the Great Hall.

"Hey, what did McGonagall ask you to do?" Ginevra asked with a slight frown.

"Ye'll see when it all starts," he replied, grinning broadly.

"I don't like the sound of that," Draco muttered.

Seamus just chuckled and waved them into the Great Hall, tugging Neville to stand beside him, his wand in his other hand.

Before Draco could walk too far into the Great Hall, he faltered mid-step and dropped to the floor. Blaise cried out, shoving past Seamus to catch Draco before his head hit the stone floor, Ginevra right behind him. Writhing in pain, Draco struggled against Voldemort's call, his hands clutching Blaise and Ginevra's so tightly that their knuckles turned white.

"_Attention, witches and wizards of Hogwarts. Your hour is up, and Harry Potter has still not been handed over. Everyone within Hogwarts will die thanks to the Chosen One's selfishness. Where are your thanks for your supposed hero now_?"

A low chuckle accompanied his parting words, and the slime feeling invaded their minds again. Quite a few people shuddered, shaking their heads to try and dispel the feeling to no avail.

The portraits along the Great Hall wall began to shake, and everyone pointed their wands at the frames. Neville frowned, wondering how the Death Eaters were travelling between portraits. No one else knew that Ariana's portrait in the _Hog's Head_ lead to Hogwarts.

When the first figure burst out of the frame, Neville ran forward so no one would send a hex at the poor goat.

"Calm down, calm down! It's just Petal. Tonks, could you help the other three through? I think we're about to get some more allies," Neville said, grinning.

Surprised, but trusting him, Tonks nodded and climbed into the portrait. She returned a few moments later with Petunia, Marvin and Billy following her out calmly. A few seconds passed and their owner followed through. Aberforth glared when he saw the reception he received, the students from DA still pointing their wands at him and his goats.

"He's all right," Mad Eye said gruffly, his eye swivelling around to look at him.

"You can lower your wands now," Neville added when no one responded to Moody's words.

Aberforth shook his head when the students followed Neville's order.

There was a loud bang, one that came from inside the castle rather than outside.

"You didn't set something to blow up in here, did you?" Neville asked Seamus.

"Nah, 'course not," he replied, both of them stepping out of the Great Hall to investigate the noise.

Creeping towards the main staircase, Seamus looked up and saw smoke filtering out from the seventh floor.

"Bloody hell. Nev, look at tha'," he said, nodding up to the black smoke.

"Gryffindor Tower, or the Room of Requirement?" Neville murmured with a frown.

Someone flew into view, and they both trained their wands on the figure until they were close enough to hex them.

"Tha's Harry!" Seamus said, confused but still not willing to put his wand down.

Neville called for Mad Eye and Pomfrey to ensure it really was Harry and to heal the wound he seemed to be sporting. His arm was torn up, and his glasses were cracked.

Falling off his broom, Harry tumbled onto the ground, a cushioning spell from Seamus stopping any serious damage. Gregory Goyle landed behind him, unconscious from what they could tell. His Dark Mark was obvious on his skin, but as neither boy was awake, they had no way of knowing why he was on a broom with Harry, nor why the seventh floor was on fire.

After Mad Eye confirmed that it really was Harry, he sent up four Aurors to clear out the smoke and put out the fire.

"No point getting this far into the war just to die from smoke inhalation," he muttered, lifting both Harry and Goyle with a spell and guiding them into the Great Hall.

...

Draco wasn't surprised to see Harry skulking out of the Great Hall within minutes of Pomfrey leaving him alone after healing him. He was surprised to see Ron and Granger following him, both of whom had only woken up a few minutes after Harry was brought into the Great Hall by Moody. Pomfrey had said just how injured those two were, shoving as many potions down their throats as she could spare. Apparently, not one of those was a sleeping potion.

"All right, love?" Blaise asked, frowning at him briefly.

"Fine. Just watching some big damn heroes," he said, shaking his head.

A surprised gasp and shout from Madam Pomfrey made them realise that she'd discovered the trio's absence.

Ginevra's joyful laugh diverted their attention for a moment, and they both looked over to see her dodging Billy's horns.

"I don't care how much we love her, we're not buying Ginevra a _goat_," Draco muttered.

Blaise snorted. "You'd buy her a toad if she wanted it, do stop acting as though you've got a choice in the matter, Draco."

A series of loud bangs and screams interrupted whatever reply Draco was going to make, and a few people rushed to the window to see what the noise was.

"Ooh, did you see that one? He _dissolved_!" Lavender squealed.

"That means they're testing the barrier around Hogwarts. All right, childr..." McGonagall stopped short, realising that no, they weren't children. _Not anymore_. She bit back a sound of injustice at it all and continued to usher the students - the warriors and fighters - off the ground.

Before anyone could leave, Neville stood at the entrance to the Great Hall to stop them from running off in impatience and getting killed all that much sooner.

"All right, all of you. They're testing the barrier, that means it's highly likely they'll breach it soon. You-Know-Who and his followers will be here soon. Fight your best, use every tactic you know, and try not to get killed. Grab your weapons, grab your wands, and fight for your friends, fight for yourselves, but most of all, fight for your freedom!"

A loud cheer followed Neville's words, surprising him at their intensity.

"One last thing... If you see Harry, Ron, or Hermione contact everyone through your coins. Do not attempt to follow them; I repeat, do **not** attempt to follow them! That includes you two as well," Neville said, looking at the Creevey brothers pointedly.

Dennis and Colin looked annoyed, but finally nodded reluctantly. Neville didn't seem appeased, making them both promise to contact them if they saw Harry rather than follow him.

"We promise, we'll contact everyone if we see them. Don't worry, we're not going to get ourselves killed," Colin said with a grin.

Molly hugged herself tightly at his words. None of them should get killed over this, **for** this. They should have their freedom without having to fight for it, they shouldn't have to go to their deaths over something they should already be living with. All of them were so young, even though most were over sixteen years old. Colin was the same age as her daughter, both of them still teenagers, yet they were ready to die for the chance to live.

"We'll be fine, Mum. A bunch of Aurors are bringing Dad through with Bill, Charlie, and Percy. You'll look after them, won't you?" Ginevra asked, hugging her tightly.

"Of course. You just ... just, take care of yourself. Please, don't die," Molly whispered, trying her best not to cry.

"I'll try not to," Ginevra said with a grin over her shoulder as she went to stand with Draco and Blaise again.

"Thank you for that, Mr. Longbottom. Now, everyone, please take care of yourselves. This might be a war, but I don't want any of you to die before your time... If I see you putting yourselves in any reckless situations, you will be in detention with me for the rest of the year," McGonagall added sternly.

A few people laughed, but most weren't sure if she was being serious or not.

"Good luck to all of you. I hope to see you when this is over," she added, her voice a bit quieter now.

A bright flash of light seemed to pour in from every direction, and McGonagall felt her heart drop, knowing that the barrier had been breached. No one had to ask what the light meant, and they all started to leave, a group of students and a few Aurors staying behind to guard the Great Hall. Tonks, Mad Eye, and Remus led the group of Aurors out, Neville and Seamus running out of the Great Hall a moment later. Just as they'd trained, small groups of eight followed them, ready to fight and die for their future.

Ginevra pulled Draco and Blaise to her, kissing them fiercely before they left the Great Hall together, weapons and wands in hand.

...

End of the seventeenth chapter.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

_Chapter Eighteen_

...

Ginevra's heart was pounding, and she couldn't decide whether everything had sped up or slowed down. It was a whirl of spells, hexes, bright flashes of swords in the light. She stepped in, around, over, and on things that she never wanted to identify. All through it, Draco and Blaise were beside her, their wands and swords seemingly extensions of their bodies. If she wasn't being attacked herself, she would have just simply stood back and watched their elegant dance across the battlefield.

Instead, she reassured herself that Draco and Blaise were safe, and continued her assault to protect, defend, and fight for her way of life. Ginevra's sword was bright in the air, the light from hexes and spells illuminating her way through the crowd of Death Eaters and students. She could see Neville up ahead, Seamus at his back; the former throwing hexes and the latter throwing some round sort of object that exploded on impact.

Ginevra heard a noise, frowning slightly when she realised that Aberforth was hexing the Death Eaters ferociously, but it was the four goats - Billy, Petunia, Petal, and Marvin - that seemed to be making the Death Eaters run away in fear. _They were finding out firsthand just how sharp the goats horns were_, she thought with a grin.

Draco and Blaise were fighting in short-sleeved shirts, refusing to fight in their favourite robes and have them ruined. Ginevra had just shaken her head at them, and now, her eyes were drawn to the bright swirls of their Unbreakable Vows on their arms. It was even more obvious on Draco's arm than his Dark Mark, and she still couldn't believe that they'd done something as ridiculous as that to keep her safe. Concentrating once more, Ginevra continued to fight with Draco and Blaise on either side of her, silently promising herself that she wouldn't let them be hurt either.

Inside of the Hogwarts castle, the fireplace lit up in a blaze of green, Kingsley Shacklebolt stepping out of the enclosure with Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley following. They were greeted with a grim scene, with beds filled of the injured. Madam Pomfrey and Molly were moving around the Great Hall in what seemed to be an erratic pattern, healing some people here and there, while conjuring sheets to cover the deceased in some places. When a sheet appeared, two Aurors would move forward to take the body away.

Kingsley nodded to her, leaving the Great Hall immediately, the rest of her family making their way between the makeshift beds towards her.

"Molly, you're all right," Arthur said, breathing a sigh of relief as he came up to her, hugging her firmly.

"Bye Mum, love you," Bill said, kissing her cheek.

"Love you too, Bill. Be careful," Molly added, watching as he left.

Charlie and Percy echoed the same sentiment as their brother, Molly responding with the same words as she had to her eldest, a fierce and sad determination in her eyes that all of her family would see the war through.

"I'd heard that the fighting had started already, and thought you might be out there," Arthur admitted, watching as three of their children left the Great Hall to join in the battle.

"I once promised that I'd never fight without you by my side, didn't I?" Molly murmured quietly, reminiscing on a war that had ended long ago, but seemed doomed to repeat itself, players old and new returning to fight.

Arthur gave a brief smile, pressing a kiss to her lips gently. "And I promised I would let you get your revenge. I think Madam Pomfrey can handle the hospital wing by herself for a while."

Molly called over to Poppy to let her know that she'd be joining the fight, an Auror stepping inside to help with the injured, wounded or dead. Arthur's hand slipped into hers, and he smiled at her, a boyish smile that she hadn't seen in months, possibly even years, and they left the Great Hall together, hand in hand.

Ginevra could have sworn that the fighting stopped for a brief moment when her parents appeared on the battlefield. There was a fierce look in her parents' eyes that she'd never seen before, and it sent a chill up her spine, grateful that she wasn't on the receiving end of them. Then the fighting started up once more, Draco hexed a Death Eater that aimed at her, Blaise cut one down with his sword, and she punched one Death Eater, his mask cracking in two at the force. Ginevra felt a hex singe her shoulder, Draco and Blaise hissing in pain as their Unbreakable Vows flared up in pain, a reminder that they hadn't done what they'd promised. Before either one could react, a fierce cry came from Molly, and Ginevra turned away from her lovers to see Rodolphus Lestrange being hexed into nothing more than ash.

"Fucking hell, Gin. Your mum should've taught us that spell before we came out here," Blaise said, grinning at her.

"Let me see you," she muttered, a shield surrounding them for the moment.

The singe on her shoulder wasn't too bad, and Ginevra frowned on seeing identical marks on both Draco and Blaise's shoulders too.

"Oh, gods. You're going to get yourselves killed with this thing, I know it. Oh, for fuck's sakes, I really wish you hadn't done this," Ginevra muttered, trying to hold back her tears. Tears would be nothing more than a hindrance right now, and she didn't have the luxury for them anyway.

"Don't be upset, love. We're fine," Draco promised.

As she pushed away her tears, Ginevra instead chose to become angry; angry at the fact that Draco and Blaise had been forced to do this to themselves because of the Death Eaters that surrounded them. It wasn't quite a sound logic, but it worked for the moment. A hex hit the shield, the barrier wavering around them. In the next breath, Ginevra removed the shield entirely, sending hex after hex at whoever was stupid enough to come close. Draco and Blaise couldn't help but grin at each other, however brief the motion, before turning and continuing to hex and cut anyone who managed to avoid Ginevra's fierce spells.

A goat ran past, too fast for them to see which one it was, a Death Eater's mask hanging from it's horns. The sight almost made Ginevra lose her anger to laughter, but not for long.

Harry, Ron and Hermione ran up from Hagrid's hut to join the fighting and defeat Voldemort, Snape's memories still whirling through Harry's mind. He had seen things that didn't completely make sense, but Ron and Hermione seemed convinced that Snape was actually a good guy, even without the specific details. Those could come later. For now, they had a madman to fight.

"The Trio's here," Colin's voice came through the coins, the words echoing out throughout the battlefield.

A few people were distracted by the information, a few singes and deaths resulting on both sides of the war. Ahead of him, Harry saw that Millicent was faced with a Death Eater, her wand gone but a dagger in her hand. Without even thinking on it, Harry hexed the Death Eater before Millicent could be injured, and he tried to keep his mind free of traitorous thoughts when she called her thanks, digging her wand up out of the ground under the dead Death Eater.

Neville ran forward with a sword, glittering rubies and gold in the fading daylight, offering it to Harry. A quick instruction about Nagini had Neville nodding in response, running off with Godric Gryffindor's sword in order to find the snake. Seamus followed him with a grin, his face covered in soot, but eyebrows still intact.

Lucius stepped in front of the trio, a sneer on his face as he lifted his snake-handled wand. Ron lifted his own wand in response, Hermione glowering at the Malfoy patriarch as she lifted her wand too, the scars littering her arms all too forceful reminders of just what this man and his Death Eater friends had put them through. Harry held his own wand at the ready, pure hatred flowing through him.

"We've got him, Harry. You go do what you were meant to do," Ron said firmly.

"Go, Harry," Hermione added, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"See you when this is all over," he promised, leaving before he could change his mind.

Lucius smirked. "The Chosen One's left his little sidekicks to fend for themselves. A Weasley and Mudblood. This shouldn't be too difficult. In fact, I may be home in time for dinner," he said with a chuckle.

A slightly inhuman screech came from a few metres away, Narcissa seeing her husband for the first time in months, and unfortunately for him, hearing his words. "You may be home in time for dinner?!" she echoed incredulously.

"Cissy?" Lucius asked, his eyes widened. "Voldemort... The Dark Lord told me you were dead."

"Did you even bother _looking_ for me? I've been at Malfoy Manor ever since you were arrested!"

"Um, maybe we should leave them to it," Ron muttered to Hermione, faltering now that their serious fighting atmosphere was ruined.

"No; he called me a Mudblood," Hermione muttered in return, sending a hex at Lucius.

"What are you doing, fighting for the Light?" Lucius asked, waving off Hermione's hex easily, despite his concentration still being on his wife.

"I'm not fighting for them, you prat! I'm fighting to get _you_ back! I'm fighting for our son!"

"Bloody hell, 'Mione, we're wasting our time with him. There's more Death Eaters where he came from. Let Mrs. Malfoy chew him out," Ron muttered, dragging her away.

"What do you mean, fighting for our son? Is Draco alive too?" Lucius asked, ignoring the departure of Ron and Hermione.

"You mean you haven't seen him killing all of your friends across the field?" Narcissa sneered in disbelief.

Lucius turned to try and see Draco in the mass of bodies, his eyes widening on seeing just who he was fighting alongside. "My son is with a _Weasley_?"

"Yes, and he's actually happy with her, so you won't do a damned thing against them, is that understood, Lucius Scorpius Malfoy?" Narcissa asked sternly, her wand concentrated on her husband once more. "I've been letting you lead me around for far too long, and look where it's gotten us! My sister's dead, you're so gullible that you wouldn't even search for your wife when that madman tells you otherwise, and I refuse to take it any longer! Now, if you don't fight _with_ me right now, you're going to be fighting _with me_."

Lucius almost blanched at the thought. Narcissa was deadly when angered - one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her back at Hogwarts, the sharp retorts and even sharper spells that she thought of - and they both knew that in a fight, she would win wands down.

"Oh, and I thought you should know that your precious Dark Lord isn't even a pureblood," Narcissa said with a sneer.

She'd heard enough of the talk from the Light side as they were fighting, uselessly trying to get their opponents to stop fighting and listen to reason, and had realised that they were telling the truth, years of suspicions finally coming to light.

The truth hit Lucius harder than as if she'd hexed him, and for a long moment, all he could do was stare at her. The moment was too long though, as another hex was sent towards him - whether intentionally or an accidental misfire from someone else in the war, he'd never know - and Narcissa cried out, Apparating instantly, her body shielding his from the hex. She collapsed to the ground before Lucius could even comprehend what had happened, and he stared at his wife's body on the ground, the light that had shone in her eyes mere seconds ago already extinguished. Narcissa was dead.

Siren saw her friend fall, and her scream of despair and anguish mixing in with Lucius' own, the sounds eerie across the battlefield. Across the field, Draco saw what had happened, his own cry of pain joining in for a moment, and he fought furiously in order to get to his mother.

"Go, Draco! Get to your mother, _now_," Ginevra said, hexing someone who dared try and hurt Draco in his time of pain.

"No. I made a vow, I'm staying with you," he replied shortly, his hand gripping his wand even tighter.

Not too far away, there was a fierce cry and they saw Neville chopping off the head of Nagini, thick rivulets of blood dripping down the sword and his arm. Seamus threw one of those round ball things, pulling Neville away quickly, and the writhing remains of Nagini exploded into tiny bits, snake skin and blood flying in all directions.

"Fucking hell; way to go Longbottom," Blaise said, smirking. "Come on, there seems to be a bit of a path towards your dad and my mum. Let's get there, okay?" he added to Draco, Ginevra nodding determinedly between them.

"Good idea," she said, starting forward before either one could protest.

Draco and Blaise hurried to catch up with her, their wands sending out hexes that were nothing less than desperate and determined. By the time they made it there, Lucius and Siren had created some form of barrier around Narcissa's dead body, protecting her even in death. Draco's father simply stared at him, sorrow etched in his expression. Blaise moving forward to pull his mother into a tight hug, ignoring her gasp of surprise. Ginevra stayed back, unsure of what to do or say in the presence of one person who loathed her entire family, and one woman who ... well, she had no real clear feelings towards.

"Thank you for keeping my son alive and happy," the words coming from Lucius, and surprising the hell out of Ginevra.

"Shit, careful, Gin," Blaise said, blocking a hex that came towards her. "Come on, I think your mother's just decapitated the hell out of someone that threatened Percy."

"If it wasn't for Potter being the Chosen One, I'd say that your mum could end this whole war herself," Draco added, snickering. "Good luck, Siren. Hope you see you when this war's over."

Then he turned to his father, looking at him sadly for a moment. Draco put his wand to his temple, extracting some memories of his mother during Lucius' arrest, flicking his wand so the wisps would go to Lucius.

"I hope you realise what you did to her. She never stopped loving you, never gave up on you. She spent all of her spare time looking for you and making sure that you wouldn't be harmed in Azkaban, and even at the end, Mother's only thought was for you," Draco said, lifting his mother up into his arms and heading towards the castle.

Blaise and Ginevra followed him closely, _daring_ anyone to try and hex their boyfriend. Fred and George jogged over, grins and blood on their faces.

"We've got a hit count of 25 between us. We're going to tell mother dearest," they said, grinning.

"Although George thinks that mother's already beaten our count," Fred added.

"It's not a game to see who wins," Blaise muttered. "In fact, it's not even a game. Don't take this so lightly."

"We're _not_ taking it lightly," George replied, frowning slightly.

"We have to treat it as a game, or we'll think about it all too much and won't act, we won't _do_ anything. It's our coping mechanism, isn't it, Forge?"

"Exactly right, Gred. Has to be a game, for why else would these people be trying to kill innocent _children_?"

"Well, _almost_ innocent," George added, grinning slightly when Seamus gave a whooping cry as he headed back into the fray, explosions following in his wake.

Blaise snorted slightly, rolling his eyes. They all fell silent as they headed continued into Hogwarts, stepping over fallen bodies as they made their way into the Great Hall. Madam Pomfrey let out a small horrified gasp on seeing Narcissa's thin frame being carried in Draco's arms, and she hurried over.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Malfoy," Pomfrey murmured, looking up at him.

"So am I," he murmured quietly, setting his mother down on a bed and watching as a white sheet was placed over her.

Out on the battlefield, the wisps of Draco's memory were taking over Lucius' mind. He fell to his knees, not concerned about the fact that a war was going around him. The image of his wife filled his mind, her tear-filled goodbye to their son as she instructed the house elves to erase her memory so that Voldemort wouldn't find Draco and his lovers, so that her husband wouldn't be used and hurt in order to be used against her. Narcissa's image continued through his mind, her worry over him, her tears over him, her fears over their son.

_He remembered Draco kneeling before the Dark Lord, his failure more than apparent when it was revealed that he hadn't killed Dumbledore as instructed. He remembered watching, his blood running cold, as Voldemort transfigured a sword out of one of Nagini's old fangs, using it to cut and slice at Draco. Narcissa screamed as she realised what he was doing, screaming at Lucius to help their son, screaming at Voldemort to stop, and getting hexed for her troubles. The distraction was enough for Draco to escape, a quick Apparation out of the Riddle House causing the surrounded Death Eaters to scramble away in surprise. Voldemort's scream of rage as he realised that Draco had disappeared, that Narcissa had been the cause, and Lucius had just watched as Voldemort raised his wand against her once more_...

A scream ripped across the battlefield, and Lucius vaguely realised that it was coming from _him_. He was on his feet before he realised it, heading towards the gods knew where, for revenge, for justice, for something else he didn't know. He continued on, oblivious to the fact that people were hexing him, that Siren was protecting him, no matter the fact that he was on the wrong side of the war - _had been on the wrong side of the war_? Lucius hexed whoever stood in his way, Light or Dark, and didn't care who got hurt on his way to exact his revenge on Voldemort.

Harry heard the screams, heard the intermittent pauses in the war as some people died, and from what he saw as he fought tooth and nail to get to Voldemort, he determined that there was no way of knowing exactly _who_ was winning this war. Hermione and Ron were alive, they were safe, and for the moment that was all he really cared about.

As he neared where Voldemort was waiting, Harry's scar began to burn. He ignored the pain, gripped his wand even tighter than before, his short nails digging into his palm. He had to keep his friends safe, he had to win, he had to make sure that Voldemort wouldn't survive so that he could hurt them again. Harry heard Neville's cry as he sliced Nagini's head off, the subsequent explosion, and let himself grin a little at the sound. Voldemort was completely vulnerable now.

"All right, Tom. Let's finish what you started all of those years ago," Harry announced, standing up before him.

Voldemort smiled a cruel and mocking smile. "If you think you can beat me, boy, then by all means, do try," he murmured, lifting his wand.

Harry lifted his wand, a spell out of his lips without him needing to think about it. Voldemort's lips twisted cruelly as he said his own spell to kill the boy before him. Red fought against green, the wands cores reacting to the other violently. Voldemort's red light advanced on Harry's, but he his green one held strong, slowly creeping up against the red. The battle on the field below them continued on, and for the moment, no one watched as their two leaders fought.

Fred and George elected to stay behind with Madam Pomfrey, helping her to heal those that they could. Ginevra had convinced Draco and Blaise to return to the field, and they returned in time to see Harry fighting Voldemort.

"You were right, Draco. He's definitely got one serious hero complex," Blaise said to Draco, grinning wryly.

"I _did_ tell you," he muttered, shaking his head. "Come on, let's make sure the poor idiot doesn't get himself killed," Draco said, heading up to where Voldemort and Harry were fighting.

_Or rather, standing there looking pained as they held glowing sticks at each other_. It had a feel of surrealism to it all, and Draco couldn't entirely believe that this was really happening, he couldn't believe the future of the wizarding world relied on the outcome of this particular moment. Then the moment seemed to be over, the red defeating the green, and Harry dropped to the ground. In front of them, Ginevra cried out in shock, her eyes wide at what had just happened.

"It's not true. It _can't_ be true," she muttered, her stomach churning and bile rising in her throat.

"Fuck, Gin!" Blaise called as she ran forward.

Draco and Blaise didn't hesitate, both of them running after her immediately. Voldemort turned in time to see her running at him, wand drawn, and raised his own wand, a hex flowing from the tip of his wand. Ginevra didn't even try to dodge it, her own hex destroying the one that he had sent. Voldemort seemed surprised, his eyes widening slightly. He sent another hex at her, but that too was destroyed. Another hex, and another destruction. And again, and again, until Ginevra was standing directly in front of him.

"Don't have the same wand core as you, do I Tom? You were relying on that so heavily with Harry," Ginevra said with a sneer.

Voldemort raised his wand again, but didn't have the chance to fire it, both Draco and Blaise hexing him. Voldemort flew back entirely, his body hitting against the ground with a loud thud. A movement had the three of them turning, their wands raised, but it was only Harry, still alive somehow.

He sat up, adjusting his broken glasses. He looked over to see Voldemort lying on the ground, his eyes still open and blinking, but his body seemingly frozen. Harry could almost pity him, especially with the looks that Draco and Blaise were giving Voldemort. He made himself stand up, blinking away the ghostly images of his mother and father, of Narcissa and Sirius, all of them saying that it was his duty, that he had to save the world and the lives of both his friends and enemies alike. (_Narcissa pleaded for him to look after her son, to tell her husband that he was forgiven by her at least, despite all of his indiscretions_.)

Wiping off his forehead, Harry realised that he no longer had a burning sensation in his head, and the lightning shaped scar didn't feel quite so _heavy_ now. His wand was pointed at Voldemort in a second, Draco and Blaise still keeping their wands trained on the fallen man.

"Why didn't he die?" Blaise growled.

"The spells we used should have killed him," Draco added, glowering.

"Because it's not your destiny, it's mine. Don't happen to know of any really painful ways to send him off, do you?" Harry asked, grinning as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

Blaise and Draco looked at each other with smirks. Ginevra rolled her eyes.

"Just kill the bastard and let's get out of here. Don't become like him just to kill him, Harry," Ginevra said.

Harry's cheeks coloured slightly, ashamed for the moment. Then he took a deep breath and looked Voldemort straight in the eye before saying the final Unforgivable, the Killing Curse. He seemed to explode into a haze of dust, and Voldemort was finally dead. Forever this time.

Waving the dust out of her face with a grimace, Ginevra performed a few cleaning spells on herself, doubting that she'd feel clean for a good week. Draco and Blaise seemed to realise that they were covered in the remains of Voldemort as well and hurried to clean themselves off too.

"Come on, let's go to the Great Hall and make sure everyone's all right," Ginevra muttered, taking her boyfriends by the hands and starting to lead them away.

There was a muffled noise behind them, and they turned around to see Harry and Millicent snogging each other as if their lives depended on it.

"Blaise, be a love and Obliviate me, would you?" Draco asked with a shudder, all too happy to follow Ginevra up to the castle now.

"If I have to suffer with that memory, then so do you," Blaise muttered.

On the battlefield, the Aurors and students were rounding up the last of the Death Eaters, most of whom seemed lost without the Dark Lord's presence. Some were making their way up to Hogwarts already, too exhausted to even deal with the remaining Death Eaters, promises from Kingsley Shacklebolt himself that the Aurors would be fine. It seemed that not all of the students believed his promises, staying behind to ensure that the Death Eaters didn't escape. Seamus and Neville were two of them, the former holding his exploding devices in a manner that demonstrated he was more than happy to use them, and the latter still wielding the bloody sword. Aberforth didn't seem to trust the Head Auror's promise either, he and the four goats standing guard as well.

Inside the Great Hall, Madam Pomfrey was still healing people, Light or Dark, taking extra care to ensure that no one had eaten a product from the Weasley twins. Fred and George were quite offended - _as if they'd stoop so low as to test products on the wounded and dying_! - but kept the Ton Tongue Toffees firmly in their pockets nonetheless.

Ginevra was relieved to see that all of her family was still alive. Her mother was sitting next to her father, both covered in soot and blood, a dazed look on Molly's face as she came to terms with what she'd done; Bill had a bite on his shoulder, courtesy of Fenir Greyback, and Fleur was fussing over him but didn't seem to notice that he was sniffing her hair; Charlie had been burned severely by a few hexes, but cheerfully waved off any concern that was given to him, saying that it wasn't the first nor last time he'd been burnt this bad; Percy was somewhere among the crowd, his arm in a sling from being hexed to the ground by Fred, saving him from an oncoming fatal curse; Fred and George were still helping Madam Pomfrey with patients, though Ginevra was almost positive that she heard them talking about racing the floating medic stretchers up and down the corridors later, and George's head was wrapped in a bandage that looked to cover a serious wound; Ron was somewhere in the crowd, burns and cuts covering his body, Hermione sitting beside him with her own series of wounds to be cared for. Both of them still had their previous injuries from when taken hostage by Voldemort, and Madam Pomfrey spent some time ensuring that they'd both lie down and take the potions she gave them. This time, she included a sleeping potion.

When the last of the Death Eaters were taken away to Azkaban to await trial, Seamus and Neville came into the Great Hall to get their wounds treated to as well. Lavender and Parvati, who had become very efficient in healing during the last year at Hogwarts, set about healing them and covering them in the necessary salves to clean their wounds from infection. Fred and George had muttered something about aching, various cuts and bruises, and made their way over to the two Gryffindors to be treated too.

Ginevra rolled her eyes at their antics, but couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face, so glad that they were both alive and well to perform such antics. She turned to her boyfriends, exceptionally pleased to see that the silvery swirl of the Unbreakable Vow had disappeared from their forearms, a sensation of relief filling her almost immediately. Kissing Blaise and drawing Draco into their embrace, Ginevra moved to kiss him too, her heart flooding with love for these two men. She murmured something similar against their skin and lips, the words returned with equal fervour from both Draco and Blaise.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco pulled away from Ginevra and Blaise reluctantly, realising after a minute or two that **he** was being called on, rather than his father. He turned to face the Auror, frowning slightly.

"You have to come with us. As a Death Eater, you need to go to Azkaban to await trial."

"Oh, no he does not!" Ginevra said angrily, pushing her way to stand in front of Draco protectively. "Despite what that mark may say, Draco is _not_ a Death Eater! He fought for _us_, not them!"

"That may be, but he still needs to go to Azkaban so the Wizengamot can determine that for themselves when he's being trialled," the Auror replied.

"Where's your superior?" Blaise asked smoothly, moving so that Ginevra was behind him.

"Pardon?" the Auror asked in surprise.

"Your superior? I'd like to talk to the person in charge," Blaise replied.

The Auror seemed put out by his response, but spoke into a spelled button on his lapel, asking for Moody. Kingsley Shacklebolt walked over a moment later, his expression saddened.

"I'm sorry, but Mad-Eye Moody died on the battlefield. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, looking between them.

"Draco was out there fighting for us, for the Light, and this ... wizard," Ginevra said, barely refraining from calling the Auror something else entirely, "says that Draco has to go to Azkaban to await trial anyway! He didn't help the Death Eaters and Voldemort!"

"Be as that may, Mr. Malfoy still needs to be reviewed by the Wizengamot before he can be released into the wizarding or Muggle society again. I saw you fight on the battlefield myself, but that fight means little when it comes to the safety of the citizens," Kingsley said, somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry, but that mark on your forearm is a clear indication that you cannot be considered a responsible or safe functioning member of society."

Ginevra's jaw went slack, and she had to fight the urge to slap the Head Auror. By the tense set of his shoulders, Blaise wasn't as calm or cool-headed as he sounded.

"Shacklebolt, can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked. Millicent was standing beside him, looking thoroughly kissed.

"I don't care what you have to do, just Obliviate me," Draco hissed at Blaise.

"Shut up, or you're going to get us into trouble that we may not be able to get out of. We're on thin ice here, Draco," Blaise muttered, his tone and expression beyond serious.

Draco fell silent, and they stayed together, watching the conversation between Harry and Shacklebolt warily. They finally finished talking, both walking over.

"I understand that the Ministry building was damaged considerably during an earlier battle. It will take quite a few Galleons to repair," Kingsley said.

"You want me to bribe you so I don't go to Azkaban?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"Think of it as a donation to the future of the wizarding world," Kingsley replied.

"It's either that or Azkaban," Harry added quietly.

"Why does it have to be Azkaban? Enough people were witnesses to Draco's fight for the Light, so can't they attest to it or something? Does it have to be Azkaban specifically, considering he's saved so many lives?" Ginevra asked.

"He saved my life," Neville called, making them realise the audience their conversation had received.

"Mine too," Seamus added.

"He saved ours too," Blaise said for himself and Ginevra.

"What do you suggest?" Kingsley asked, realising that most of the people in the Great Hall had probably heard of his willingness to accept a bribe and could use that against him.

"Putting him under house arrest until the Wizengamot put Draco on trial and declare him fit to be out in public again," Ginevra suggested.

"I'd appreciate it if it was Malfoy Manor so that I can organise to have my mother buried," Draco added. "Of course, if you require a few Galleons..."

"No, no. It's fine. I'll talk with Scrimengour about it," Kingsley said, hurrying off.

"You realise that the Wizengamot Council will probably take a year before they put you on trial? They're going to make you stay inside Malfoy Manor until you drive yourself insane," Blaise muttered.

"I don't plan on being in there alone," Draco replied, smirking.

"You're not shagging me for a year straight, Draco," Ginevra said.

"Of course not; I'd share you with Blaise."

"Not funny," she muttered.

Draco just smirked again on seeing the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

"As your father's just been taken by the Aurors, and more than one person has vouched for Draco, Scrimengour has agreed to your terms," Kingsley said, coming back over, a small group of people following curiously. "Draco Scorpius Malfoy, you will hereby be placed under house arrest at Malfoy Manor until the Wizengamot Council has concluded your trial and declared you fit to be in the presence of other witches and wizards in society," he announced, waving his wand in order to seal his words.

A small thin chain appeared around Draco's neck, a device that would alert the Ministry and Aurors if Draco so much as stepped outside of the Manor's grounds. A small red light seemed to glow from the square pendant on the chain, indicating that it hadn't yet been activated. The pendant would activate the moment he left Hogwarts, and if Draco didn't go straight to Malfoy Manor, a spell would force him into that direction, no matter what he tried. Sighing, Draco just hoped that his trial wouldn't take too long.

"Come on, let's go home," Ginevra said, kissing them both once more before heading over to say goodbye to her family.

They'd all seen what had transpired and didn't argue about her leaving with Draco and Blaise; even Ron just said goodbye to her and told her to keep safe and to firecall or owl him the moment she needed help. Luna hugged Ginevra before returning to where her father was waiting for her, bruises littering his face and arms for failing to support Voldemort. _Luna had killed the Carrow siblings herself, watching as the light faded from their eyes, wishing the act could somehow heal the hurt that she'd received from them_. Seamus and Neville both hugged and kissed Ginevra, shaking hands with her boyfriends amiably, Neville suggesting that they get together at Malfoy Manor when Draco needed some company other than himself.

With all of their farewells over and done with, Ginevra took Draco and Blaise's hands and they Apparated to Malfoy Manor together. As they landed in the foyer, Draco's pendant turned green, and it stayed that way for some time. Muttering about grime, ash, and dirt, Ginevra stripped off her clothes right there in the foyer. Realising that they were still covered in the ash of Voldemort, Draco and Blaise hurried to follow suit. The house elves were instructed to burn the clothes, the Manor's three inhabitants taking a long time to wash themselves before truly feeling clean again.

Watching as Ginevra drifted off to sleep, Blaise's body pressed up against his, Draco had never felt more secure and loved than he did in that moment. Despite the Dark Mark on his arm, he was free, he was alive, and he was loved, and in the end, that was really all that mattered.

...

End of eighteenth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	20. Epilogue

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter.

_Read on, oh faithful ones_...

...

Epilogue

...

"I can't believe you two conned me into this," Ginevra muttered, glowering at her husbands as they made their way across the room to her hospital bed.

"You were the one who was naked. There was no conning done on our parts," Draco said, offering her a cup filled with ice chips.

"Besides, you're the one who wanted this, remember?" Blaise reminded her, grinning.

"I know. But the babies are already a week late, I feel fat and my back is killing me," Ginevra groused, trying to move into a more comfortable position.

"You look lovely. Besides, you don't have anything to worry about. Draco's the one whose hair is thinning," Blaise said with a snicker, helping Ginevra sit up as he rearranged the pillows behind her.

"Shove off you prat. It's not thinning," Draco muttered, his hand moving to his hair.

There was a slightly frantic knock at the door and a nurse looked inside. "You have visitors. A lot of visitors," she added, sounding somewhat terrified of the large group that had descended on St. Mungo's only minutes ago.

"They're the reason we asked for the largest private room you lot had," Draco said with a smirk.

"Yeah, and the fact that the ward's named after the Malfoy family is the reason we got it," Blaise said, chuckling as the nurseleft to gather the visitors.

"It was either a large donation to a public place or community service. Your mother refused to let Bailey Daniels agree to the latter, for which I am eternally grateful," Draco added, referring to his trial that had concluded nine years ago.

The trial had been made very public, and in the weeks leading up to it, Draco had refused to leave Blaise and Ginevra's sides. Since he'd been under house arrest, that meant they'd stayed with him for the duration. Considering how desperate the various news and media people were to get a story, his refusal to let them leave was a mixed blessing. They'd camped out at the Burrow fordays, hoping to get a glimpse of her or Blaise, only to be met with one very irate Molly Weasley who had made headlines the next day after she hexed the journalists. Siren had been visiting that day, and her photographed image could be seen through the kitchen window, laughing at the journalists who'd been subjected Molly's wrath.

"Please, one at a time!" the nurse was trying to say, her voice barely louder than the noise Ginevra's visitors were making. There was a huff of defeat and the nurse left them to their own devices.

"All of you stay here a moment. We'll go in first with Siren, and then we'll come out to look after the children," Molly said, her authoritative voice quietening everyone quickly.

A few seconds later, Ginevra's parents and Blaise's mother came into the room, all three smiling. Molly hugged Ginevra gently, Arthur shaking his son-in-laws hands, and Siren hugged them.

"Do you need anything, Ginevra dear? Everyone's out there tripping over themselves to do something," Molly said.

"There's a competition between Harry and Ron to see who has the biggest stuffed animal," Siren added with a chuckle.

"I'm fine. Draco brought ice, and Blaise moved the pillows for me. Oh... Aah," she cried out as a contraction started.

Both Blaise and Draco winced at the grips she had on their hands, Blaise taking the offered cloth from Molly to wipe Ginevra's forehead gently.

"How far between contractions are you?" Arthur asked as the pain faded from his daughter's face.

"Five minutes. Draco and Blaise refused to let me stay at the Manor until it reached two," she muttered.

"We weren't going to risk anything, especially not where you were concerned, love," Draco murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair gently.

"We'll come back in later, Ginevra dear," Molly said, squeezing her hand gently and smiling before she left.

"I think everyone else finally managed to organise themselves into age order," Arthur added with a chuckle. He moved to kiss Ginevra's cheek. "Take care, Ginny. We'll see you soon."

"You two can stand by the window for a minute," Siren said, waving the two men away from her daughter-in-law. When they did, ignoring their looks of confusion, Siren moved to whisper in Ginevra's ear. "Thank you for always being there for Draco and Blaise, Ginevra. You're the best thing to happen to either of them."

"They're the same for me, Siren," she replied certainly, smiling.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, I've got to go to the Ministry to try and drag my husband away from his work. It's not every day we become grandparents, and I don't care if Kingsley's Head Auror, he can still be here," Siren said, straightening her robe. "Now, remember our deal, Blaise dear. Any grandchildren of mine are to call me Auntie Siren in public."

"You don't look a day over forty, mother," Blaise said, rolling his eyes at her.

"Yes, well it won't hurt to make everyone else believe that too," she said with a smirk before leaving them alone.

"What did Siren say to you anyway?" Draco asked, returning to his spot beside Ginevra.

"I'll tell you later," she replied as Charlie came in with Pansy.

"How're you going, sis?" Charlie asked with a grin. "Anything I can do for you?"

"I'm fine. Draco and Blaise are making sure of it," Ginevra added.

"We brought a gift for you and the baby," Pansy said, offering the wrapped gift to her.

"You didn't have to buy anything," Ginevra said in surprise.

"You refused to let us throw you a baby shower, so yes I did," she pointed out.

"I didn't refuse one, I just said it wasn't necessary. Draco and Blaise are going to spoil the baby rotten anyway."

"You left the bloody _country_ just so we wouldn't be able to give you a baby shower, Ginevra," Pansy deadpanned.

"That _was_ an ingenious idea," Draco muttered to Blaise, smirking.

"Why do you look so happy, Charlie? I seem to remember threats of bodily harm at our wedding," Blaise said, uneasy at the sight of the dragon tamer's large grin.

"I know. I'm waiting for Gin's next contraction so I can make good on those threats," Charlie said, chuckling.

"Okay, time for you to go. I'm the only one allowed to threaten them," Ginevra muttered.

Another contraction came upon her and she clenched their hands tightly, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to remember how to breathe. Seeing the expression on her husband's face, Pansy shook her head at him, and pushed him out of the room, calling goodbye to Ginevra, Draco and Blaise over her shoulder.

Bill and Fleur were next, but weren't able to stay long with the full moon that night. He hugged Ginevra, shook hands with Draco and Blaise. Fleur organised to have a day off at a beauty spa with Ginevra in a few months' time, telling Draco and Blaise that if they didn't help Ginevra, then she would _make_ them.

"Trust me, you don't want her to do that," Bill added in a whisper before following Fleur out of the room.

Percy arrived with Penelope, who was carrying their son Phillip. He started to cry when Ginevra had her next contraction, and they hurried out quickly.

Fred and George came in with Parvati and Lavender, the two men muttering about a minute's difference in age, and how the room was big enough for all four of them to fit anyway.

"We figured we'd get in on the stuffed toy market," George said with a grin, Fred flourishing two small plush gold spiders with silver legs.

"Ron almost fainted, so that was an added bonus," Fred said, snickering.

"The spider's meant to grow in size along with the baby," George said.

"We're not sure how large though, so we'll be taking notes when we visit."

"If it turns into the size of an Acromantula, just put it out in the rain for a night," George advised.

"I'm sorry, Ginevra. We both tried telling them not to bring those things, but they managed to sneak them in our bags instead," Lavender said with a sigh.

Both she and Parvati were in their blue Healer robes, Parvati telling George off for bringing the awful toys into the left to go on their rounds, Parvati and Lavender adjusting Ginevra's pillows quickly before they left. Fred and George left after their wives as Ginevra's next contraction started, the sound reminiscent of their own children's births.

"I think they're getting closer together," Blaise muttered, looking to his pocket watch.

"Then let's hurry the guests up," Draco replied, calling the next two couples in quickly.

Ron and Hermione came in with Harry and Millicent, the two wizards carrying a large stuffed bear each and looking immensely proud of themselves.

"This is what happens when we get them to buy gifts without supervision," Millicent said, shaking her head at Harry.

"Lily helped me pick it out, and Albus Severus refused to leave the store without it, it's not my fault," Harry muttered.

"Don't even try blaming this on Rose or Hugo, Ronald. You know you were just trying to outdo Harry," Hermione said sternly.

"Wasn't going to blame the kids. But mine's bigger," Ron said, grinning as he placed the large bear on one of the seats.

"By half an inch, and that's only because of the ears," Harry argued.

"They haven't shut up about this since yesterday morning," Hermione said with a sigh. "Mill and I are getting very annoyed with them. I swear, it's like having an extra child around."

"I don't doubt it," Ginevra said with a pained smile. "Sorry, but I've got another contraction com-arghh," she cried out, squeezing Blaise and Draco's hands even tighter.

Blaise's eyes were watering, but he managed to see the time on the watch, ignoring the fast departure of the two couples. "That was only three and a half minutes," he murmured, offering Ginevra the cup of ice chips.

She chewed on the ice quickly, her eyes closed as Draco wiped the sweat from her face. "I want our baby out of me _today_. I can't take another day of this," she groaned.

"We know, love. Not much longer now," Draco promised.

Neville poked his head in the room. "Can you take a couple more visitors, Gin?" he asked with a grin. "Seamus is being as impatient as ever."

"Come in," she said, smiling at him brightly.

Seamus made his way inside quickly, nudging his way past Draco to hug Ginevra. "Ye look lovely, lass. Aberforth's promised celebratory drinks when the babe's out of ye."

"You're just saying I look lovely so you'll get invited to drinks, aren't you?" Ginevra muttered, grinning nonetheless.

"Nah, I'm just hopin' you willnae notice we didnae bring ye a present. Didnae know we were meant ter, ye see," Seamus said, nodding over to the two bears sitting in the guests seats by the windows. (The slightly larger bear was conveniently sitting atop the plush spiders that George and Fred had placed on the seat.)

"You weren't meant to. Some people are just being stubborn," Ginevra replied.

"Ah, good ter know," Seamus said, grinning.

"Speak for yourself about not getting a present, Seamus," Neville muttered, stepping forward to present a potted plant to Ginevra. "Put two of the leaves in boiling water, and it'll help you sleep," he said with a smile.

"Ah, that's also from me," Seamus added quickly.

Another contraction started, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing once more. When Ginevra opened her eyes again she saw that Luna had come in with Rolf, and Seamus and Neville were still in the room.

"I thought you weren't going to make it?" she asked Luna, attempting to smile as she exhaled heavily.

"Rolf was able to get us an early flight back," Luna replied with a smile. "I'm glad we made it back in time."

"So am I. How was your expedition anyway?" Ginevra asked, keeping her breathing steady.

"Not bad. We found evidence of Snargles," she replied, smiling brightly.

"They're a migratory species, which no one else has figured out before," Rolf said, looking excited.

"That's grea...ahhhh," Ginevra screamed.

"Okay, two minutes apart. Someone get the healer in here," Blaise said.

Seamus and Neville hurried out quickly, and Luna and Rolf left soon after to help Molly and Arthur look after the various children in the waiting area. Now that they were alone, her contraction slowly fading, Ginevra looked between her husbands seriously.

"Whatever potions they give me, and no matter what I say, do not let me name the child after someone who died in the Final Battle," she muttered.

"No need to worry about that, love. Potter's doing that enough for everyone," Draco said with a snicker.

"With all of the middle names the Potter brood have been given, I don't even think there's any names left. Not unless we name the baby after Mad-Eye Moody," Blaise said, shaking his head.

"Your contractions are getting closer together, Mrs. Malfoy-Zabini?" the nurse queried, coming over.

"No, it's _our_ contractions," Draco muttered sarcastically. He quietened under the look Ginevra levelled at him. "Sorry, love."

She would have answered, but another contraction came, and Ginevra was busy cursing at Draco and Blaise, wishing that her wand hadn't been taken away.

"If any of that was possible, love, we'd be in a hospital bed beside you," Blaise pointed out.

"I'll call the healer in here for you, Mrs. Malfoy-Zabini. You're almost ready. Would you like your husbands to come in with you?" the nurse asked, tapping on one of her robe buttons.

Ginevra didn't get a chance to answer, another contraction already on the way.

"Can we swap our hands for something less breakable?" Draco asked weakly.

"I can make them boneless, if you'd like. You'll have to take a dose of Skele-Grow afterwards though," the nurse added.

"We'll skip that, thanks," Blaise said quickly.

The door opened, a healer and another two nurses coming into the room. Ginevra screamed her way through the introductions, her hands clutching her husbands' tightly. The healer instructed for Draco and Blaise to leave and they carefully untangled their hands from Ginevra's grip.

"Wait. Draco, Blaise? Stay with me, please?" Ginevra asked, suddenly terrified about what awaited her.

"Of course, love," Draco said immediately, he and Blaise hurrying to move on either side of the bed.

"We won't go anywhere," Blaise promised, wiping her forehead tenderly.

Ginevra smiled at them, then her face twisted to a pained expression and she screamed.

...

Slumping back on the bed as her child finally came into the world, Ginevra sighed in relief, opening her eyes wearily.

"Everything all right?" she asked, her voice raw from screaming for the past five hours.

"Wonderful, love," Draco said, looking to the two babies in the nurse's arms.

"We'll clean them up and bring them right back to you," the nurse promised, leaving quickly.

"Thought of any names?" Blaise asked, grinning at Ginevra.

"I was kind of busy giving birth," she drawled, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I've thought of some," Draco admitted.

"Hmm, and?" Ginevra asked, Blaise looking to him curiously.

...

"Ginevra, Blaise and I would like to formally introduce Caelum and Carina Malfoy-Zabini to you all," Draco said proudly, his daughter in his arms and his son resting in Blaise's arms.

Caelum had Blaise's black hair while Carina had Draco's blonde hair, and both had Ginevra's brown eyes. There was some cooing and comments from Molly that Carina's light hair might darken over time, and she might even end up a redhead like her mother.

"Those Malfoy genes are probably too stubborn to let any Weasley red show through," Ginevra said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't like to brag, but we Malfoy's are a stubborn lot. Especially those that married into the Malfoy family," Draco said, smirking at her.

"Of course we are. Anyone would have to be stubborn to marry into your family," Blaise said with a soft chuckle, stroking Caelum's head gently.

"I don't think that nurse is pleased with all of us being in here at once, Molly dear," Arthur murmured.

"Well, she will just have to come to terms with the fact that we're not leaving... Unless you'd like to rest without all of us in here, of course, Ginevra dear," Molly added, looking to her tired daughter with a slight frown.

"I actually wouldn't mind resting now. It's been a long nine months," Ginevra said, smiling.

"Of course, dear. Everyone out now. _No Apparating_," Molly added sternly, looking to Fred and George.

The twins held up their hands in mock innocence and surrender, leaving the room quickly. Ron saw that the spider toys had been uncovered and hurried after them, his face pale.

The room quickly emptied of friends, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews of all ages (Molly ushered Arthur out of the room, ignoring his muttering about Muggle bedpans; and Siren almost dragged Kingsley outside - _of course, now that he's here, he doesn't want to leave_!) until it was just the three parents and their newborn twins. The nurse came in looking relieved, adjusted a few things for Ginevra and then left once more, closing the door behind her firmly.

"We'll have to have a welcoming party for Caelum and Carina," Blaise murmured, gently passing his son to Ginevra.

"I think that was just it, Blaise," Draco said with a grin, carefully passing Carina to Ginevra as well.

"You're not really going to spoil them both rotten, are you?" Ginevra asked, holding onto her children carefully as Draco and Blaise expanded the bed so they could fit on either side of her.

"We've already discussed this, Ginevra. They will not want for anything in their lives, but we promised that we won't spoil the children and let them grow up to be awful brats," Draco said, laying down beside her.

"Of course, if Caelum or Carina are anything like their mother, we'll have trouble saying _no_ to them about anything," Blaise said with a snicker, settling in beside Ginevra.

"Great, we might as well go live in the Muggle world the moment we leave the hospital," she muttered.

"The apartment in Muggle London's a holiday home only," Draco said, a pout threatening to form.

She just smiled at him and took her husbands' hands gently, all three lapsing into silence as they looked at their children. Blaise was the first to realise that Ginevra was crying silently, and Draco looked at her a second later, concerned.

"Are you all right, love?" Blaise asked, softly stroking her hair back from her face.

Ginevra nodded briefly, not looking away from Caelum and Carina. "I thought it'd take time for me to get used to them, or that it'd take me a while to love them. I think I even thought that I'd love you two less because I had to share the love I had. But... But it's not like that. I've loved these two babies for the past nine months, and now that they're really here, I've realised that it's not that I have to share my love, it's that I get even more love. I... I didn't think it'd be like this, and I'm so glad that it is," Ginevra said, smiling through her tears.

"So are we, love," Draco said, Blaise nodding in agreement.

They kissed her cheeks, wiped away her falling tears, and when Ginevra seemed calmer, Blaise and Draco adjusted Caelum and Carina gently so that they wouldn't fall or be hurt between them. Ginevra kissed each of them in turn and finally closed her eyes to sleep, still holding her husbands' hands and their children sleeping soundly with them.

...

The end.

...

Author note: This really is the end of the story! It's taken a few years, but I finally got you there in the end, and I just hope that you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I have writing it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and thank you to everyone for reading.


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